Shakes now looks to shake up Cup hopes
HAVING reached the 2018 World Cup qualifying group stage, Bafana Bafana coach Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba has turned his gaze to rescuing the team’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations campaign.
Mashaba believes – with his team having rediscovered their form with a friendly victory against Senegal, successful Central American tour, and 4-1 aggregate World Cup victory against Angola – Bafana can bounce back in the 2017 Nations Cup qualifiers.
After starting with a 0-0 home draw against Gambia, then followed by a 3-1 defeat away to Mauritania, last-placed South Africa need backto-back victories against Group M leaders Cameroon in late March to get back on track for Gabon 2017.
Mashaba said there is a strong chance Bafana will play Cameroon in Durban.
“It’s becoming our slaughterhouse. I think we’ll come here,” he said following his side’s 1-0 second leg victory against Angola at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Tuesday night.
He added: “Mauritania, we’re going to bring it to Durban. They’ll pay dearly for what they did.”
Bafana meet Gambia away in June 2016, then host Mauritania in September. Mashaba said he believes his team can beat Cameroon twice.
“I would like to quote one of the late old man’s [Nelson Mandela’s] quotes: ‘It seems impossible until it’s done’,” the Bafana coach said.
“Nothing can stop us from beating Cameroon twice. Nothing can stop us from reversing the Mauritania result. Anything is possible.
“It’s not going to be easy. But with this kind of approach and commitment from our players, we are on the verge of turning the tables around.
“We also cannot just sit and think we will go into finals tournaments. We need practise matches [for the Cameroon game], but unfortunately we are governed by the availability of players.”
The value of Bafana’s tour halfway across the world to Central America last month – beating World Cup quarterfinalists Costa Rica 1-0, and drawing 1-1 against qualifiers Honduras – was questioned at the time.
Mashaba said it provided muchneeded variety in the buildup to the Angola tie for a team overfed on a diet of African opposition.
“It’s about the kind of changes you get playing against these different countries. In different continents teams are different. You learn different approaches,” said Mashaba.
“I think it has helped us with our players adjusting to these different kinds of players. With Angola’s approach, if you go to sleep they will kill you. You have to be versatile and not stereotyped.”
Mashaba said the 3-1 lead, and a wariness at the back of the mind of conceding early, made it difficult for South Africa to find rhythm in attack at the start of the game against Palancas Negras.
“A few times we were playing with our backs to the wall, and our boys stood their ground. When we started playing the kind of football we know – with combinations – we managed to get the match under control.
“I think our subs brought a big change – Thulani Serero, Sibusiso Vilakazi and Kamohelo Mokotjo. I think everything started to go our way after they came on.”
Angola coach Romeu Filemon praised his side for at least providing a more evenly matched contest than in Palancas’s home leg.