Mkhalele: Bafana can qualify for 2023 Chan
Bafana Bafana stand-in coach Helman Mkhalele has no doubt that his inexperienced side will qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations Championship (Chan) for the first time since 2014, when they host Angola at Orlando Stadium today (3pm).
Bafana are on the back foot after losing 2-0 to Angola last week in Luanda in the first leg of the Chan qualifiers.
Mkhalele’s side arrived at this stage after beating Comoros 1-0 in the first round on aggregate score. Bafana won 1-0 away before drawing the second leg at home to go through.
But Mkhalele, who has been tasked by Safa to be in charge of the Chan tournament and the Cosafa Cup matches while national team coach Hugo Broos watches on the sidelines, is confident that his patched-up side will progress to the finals.
“If Angola could score two goals in their own backyard, then I believe that we can score more goals in the return leg to win this round,” Mkhalele said.
“We want to qualify for the 2023 Chan tournament in Algeria.”
However, Bafana have not had the best of results in this competition down the years, with only one win in the last five qualifying matches. In fact, it is just one win in seven qualifying matches going back to 2017.
Since the competition started in 2009, Bafana have only qualified twice, which was in 2011 (exiting in the quarter finals) and 2014 in the group stages.
Their performance in 2014 raised the fury of the former sports minister Fikile Mbalula, who lambasted Bafana as a bunch of losers.
“There are a whole lot of positives which I picked up from how we played, which gives me hope that we can turn things around in the second leg,” Mkhalele said.
The Chan tournament will take place from January 8 -31 next year in Algeria.