Strong Bafana defence a must for Lions attack
At least four points from Cameroon ties needed to keep Afcon hopes alive
BAFANA BAFANA’S 2008 Africa Cup of Nations’ dreams died a crushing death in Tamale on the back of their terrible defending. The 3-1 loss to Tunisia ended their chances of advancing to the next round. Seven years later, another 3-1 defeat thanks to poor defending could be the point from which they look back and say: That’s where Bafana Bafana’s 2017 Afcon dreams died, when the “mighty” Mauritania took full advantage.
Shakes Mashaba took a gamble with Siyabonga Zulu, who had been idle for three weeks before the call-up, which didn’t work, while Thulani Hlatshwayo’s absence through injury was felt.
It was the biggest and most crushing defeat in the mentor’s second spell in charge of the national team.
He argued that three of his back four played with injuries on an artificial pitch that came as a surprise to him and his technical team, who didn’t bother to do their research about it.
They’re unlikely to make such mistakes in their trip to Limbe on March 26; they will take on Cameroon in back-to-back matches, with the second leg in Durban three days later. They must get at least four points if they’re to breathe life into their campaign since they have only collected one point in two matches.
Mashaba is also unlikely to gamble as a solid defence is vital. The coach has settled on his core defenders in Hlatshwayo, Anele Ngcongca, Siyabonga Nhlapo, Eric Mathoho, Rivaldo Coetzee and Thabo Matlaba. Ngcongca and Hlatshwayo offer flexibility as both are also able to play at right back.
“As a player you have to be versatile so that you give your coach options,” says Hlatshwayo. “I know that when I play in these different positions there are different things expected from me, when I am in central defence I have to lead. When I play at right back my first priority is defending, I am not like the right backs who attack a lot like Bryce Moon for example – not to say that there is something wrong with that. It’s just that that’s how I play and even when we were both at Ajax (Cape Town), they knew I would give them this and he would give them that.”
Defensive discipline, especially for the marauding fullbacks, will be key, which could make players like Matlaba and Mzikayise Mashaba a masterstroke or a liability. They could be a masterstroke in the sense that they could make the deadly Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who likes cutting inside from the wing, spend more time defending than attacking in the heavily offensive Cameroonian side that supple- ments him with two holding midfielders, Eyong Enoh and Stephane Mbia.
The west Africans played like that under Volker Finke, and new coach Hugo Broos has promised not to change too much in the matches against Bafana. That means the Indomitable Lions are likely to lead with their three-man attack that would punish any defensive naivety.
That’s where Mashaba and Matlaba could be a liability. Matlaba’s pace helps him to regain ground that he loses, but at international level any mistake is punished more than in the domestic league.
Cameroon’s two victories, both 1-0, over Mauritania and Gambia, have come through them punishing those sides because of mistakes.
If Mashaba goes for the duo, the central pairing he picks will need to be alert to cover for them when they go forward in what will be their most important challenge against the team currently topping Group M with six points.