No room for Benni to talk
Focus on return leg against Angola
It’s now just a matter of finishing the job at home after the SA U23s beat Angola away on Friday.
David Notoane’s boys recorded a comfortable 3-1 win over the Angolans in Luanda in a CAF Under-23 Cup of Nations qualifier.
Goals from Luther Singh, Thendo Mukumela and Grant Magerman sealed it for the South Africans.
The return leg is on Tuesday at Wits Stadium (7pm). The winner over the two legs will face either Zimbabwe, eSwatini or Mozambique in the second round.
The nation that goes through the second round will then qualify for the CAF 8-Nations tournament scheduled for Egypt in November.
The three top teams from that tournament automatically earn a berth at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Notoane is upbeat after a fine start in Luanda.
“First and foremost, one should congratulate the boys for a good reaction to the game plan that we put in place, especially against a very difficult preparation process, because we measured Angola on the basis of the videos that we had and their coach’s philosophy,” Notoane said.
“Key, as I said during the week, was that we are a team that likes to attack, but we had to find the right balance [in terms of defence too].”
Now the focus shifts to the return leg and Notoane is confident of an even better performance in their own back yard.
“Coming to the second leg, it’s a tricky affair, because you have three away goals and they [Angola] got one goal that from a psychological point of view, gives them hope,” he said.
“It’s not a done deal as it might appear, but I think from a tactical approach we would come with a right solution to say psychologically, we kill the tie.”
The team returned home via OR Tambo International Airport yesterday. Cape Town City coach Benni McCarthy is not entitled to tell other teams how to play.
McCarthy accused Polokwane City of “parking the bus” and not being attack-minded during their 1-1 draw league match week.
If McCarthy was the sharpwitted coach and football tactician many believe he is, he should have found ways to “remove” the bus, and break down City’s defence.
City have every right not to take risks; they defended and were content with the one point they got away from home.
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