Dakar match an ideal time to experiment
BAFANA BAFANA won’t be lining up at the World Cup in Russia – but, for coach Stuart Baxter, tonight’s dead rubber against Senegal in Dakar is an opportunity to plan for the future and have a look at some of the other players in the squad.
For Baxter, the heat is most certainly on. So the big question, of course, is how does he approach things tonight? Will he opt to chase the result and play what he believes is his strongest team? Or will he decide to give some others in the squad a run? If he’s thinking about the future, then surely the latter is the best option. It’s time to see what some of the other players can do.
For example: give goalkeeper Ronwen Williams an opportunity to regain some confidence in a Bafana jersey; Let’s see what Motjeka Madisha can offer in defence; Keagan Dolly, when last has he played?; the exciting Phakamani Mahlambi; Dino Ndlovu has been in fantastic form for Azerbaijan side Qarabag, in the Champions League, why haven’t we seen more of him?
It’s time to be bold – if the team loses, so what? This game shouldn’t be about the result, it should be about opportunity, about what Bafana have in reserve, and about the players showing some character and pride in the national jersey, irrespective of who is selected. Baxter has barely had time to lace up his coaching boots and already he’s feeling the heat from a South African public frustrated with Bafana’s inconsistency and inability to qualify for major football tournaments. While the discontent is understandable it’s important to be just as aware that fingers shouldn’t only be pointed at the incumbent Bafana coach. Football’s rot goes far deeper.
Safa have made it clear that it will await Baxter’s report on the two matches against Senegal, as well as the coach’s blueprint on the way forward, before making a decision on his future. But, with Baxter having only been appointed in May this year, it would be suicidal to put the boot in now. The knee-jerk changing of coaches is one of the big issues that have affected Bafana’s continuity since the demise started post1996 and it remains at the root of the team’s recent lack of growth.
Football in South Africa needs to understand that patience is the virtue that drives progress. In the past, the hiring and firing of coaches palpably failed to improve the team in the long term – and, no doubt, it will be the same this time too. The scenario now is all-too-familiar: sack the coach and start from scratch again; and then, a few months later, expect the same situation to unfold. It’s a tune South has grown very tired of, yet it keeps singing it.
“Fire the coach” is, of course, a malaise that affects the entire landscape of football in this country. While, ultimately, the coach has to bear the responsibility for the result, too often the players get off scot-free.
Against Senegal in Polokwane last week, Bafana played some really smart football at times. The intricate passing patterns, and the manner in which they delightfully carved open the Senegal defence, was a joy to watch. So many inviting scoring opportunities were missed – and let’s add that coaches are not employed to score goals; once the players are on the pitch, the team takes over. And lack of goals is a national problem – in fact, it’s a national crisis. From junior to senior football, the finishing is diabolical. That is not Baxter’s fault, it’s a structural issue. A national coach should not be teaching players how to finish.
While, under Baxter, Bafana have had its difficulties – especially the two losses to Cape Verde – there is no doubt they have also produced some really promising performances, like wins over Nigeria and Burkina Faso, while, as mentioned, there were many good moments in last week’s defeat to Senegal.