Baxter promises a more aggressive Bafana in attack

With concerns over what have appeared flat training sessions at FNB Stadium ahead of Bafana’s must-win 2018 World Cup qualifier there on Saturday‚ and the lackluster previous two defeats against Cape Verde‚ Baxter has promised a more aggressive approach in attack.

Against Cape Verde last month South Africa were static in attack and not laid out to be aggressive going forward‚ especially in the 2-1 second defeat in Durban‚ which followed a loss by the same scoreline in Praia days earlier.

“There will be changes‚ yes. Some of them are enforced and some of them are chosen‚” Baxter said of Bafana’s approach in attack on Saturday.

“One of the things I’ve emphasised this camp has been that after the Cape Verde game (in Durban)‚ I was really disappointed with the lack of challenge that we threw down to them.

“Everybody talks about our speed and our skill and our way of playing. But I don’t think I remember us challenging them one-v-one‚ or making penetrating runs that we speak about all the time.

“So one of the things that we’ve spoken about is that if we have that skill then we have to challenge them with it. We have to challenge them with our pace and our movement‚ and we have to make sure that we are brave enough to take that responsibility.

“So it’s both reinforcing that that’s what we need to do‚ and maybe there will be a few changes in faces that we believe we can do a little bit better with.”

The losses against Cape Verde have left South Africa needing wins from their last three games against Burkina Faso then Senegal home and away next month to keep their Russia 2018 hopes alive.