Rough patch of national teams cause for concern

Bafana Bafana’s woes cannot be ignored as the prospects of qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations are still hazy

The past few days have shone a light on the frailties of SA’s teams who were on the receiving end of demoralising results in major international matches.

While it would be amiss to include the Proteas in this list as their choking at major competitions is well documented, their loss to Netherlands in the T20 World Cup still came as a shock.

Even the most cautious gambler would have put money on them to beat the Dutch, whose cricket is still at development level.

Cricket analysts have waxed lyrical trying to pinpoint the problem, with some going as far as suggesting a cleansing ceremony for the national team, while others blamed the psychological state of the players.

Captain Temba Bavuma, who has been under a lot of pressure due to his dip in form, must now understand the enormity of the task of leading this team.

On the rugby front, the Springboks did not cover themselves in glory either after again failing to overcome Ireland on their European tour.

Boks have not beaten Ireland, the number one-ranked team in the world, at their home since 2012.

And while there were glaring errors, most notably the absence of a dedicated kicker, the SA team have been accused of basking in the glory of their triumph at the 2019 World Cup.

Detractors are saying the Boks have stuck to a style of playing which is easily read by other teams.

The loss of the SA “A” to United Rugby Championship outfit Munster midweek has piled pressure on the Boks to get the results at all costs when they play France on Saturday.

This is no small task as the French are on form and ranked second after Ireland.

While rugby fans are clutching at straws in an effort to come up with answers, there is no denying that a second loss in a row will worsen matters in the Boks team.

Bafana Bafana’s woes cannot be ignored as the prospects of qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations are still hazy.

Coach Hugo Broos has decided to line up friendly matches against minnows Mozambique and Angola.

His audacity in turning down a friendly match against Algeria serves as an indication on how low Bafana Bafana have sunk lately.

With Algeria soccer authorities having reportedly paid for everything to bring the SA side to their country, Broos turned down the match on the basis that he wanted his team to play lowranking sides to boost their confidence.

Now the question is what will happen to Bafana’s confidence if they lose to Mozambique and Angola?