Bafana players remain confident and focused

Bafana Bafana players remain upbeat and focused on the mission at hand despite their disappointing start at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), a result which drew flak from many South Africans back home.

Bafana kicked off their tournament with a 2-0 loss to Mali on Tuesday in Ivory Coast, putting themselves in a difficult position ahead of their second game of the group stages.

With two games left to play in the group stages, Bafana’s chances of making the round of 16 are still very much alive.

But to keep those chances alive, SA will need to get a positive result against neighbours Namibia at Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in Korhogo on Sunday (10pm, SA time).

Namibia are fired up after the great start they had in the tournament, beating Tunisia.

Speaking from Ivory Coast, Bafana midfielders Teboho Mokoena and Sphephelo Sithole were in good spirits ahead of the fixture against Namibia.    

Mokoena emphasised the need to be clinical in front of goal, as he believes that was a problem against Mali.

Bafana were awarded a penalty in the first half, but star player Percy Tau couldn’t give SA a crucial head start as he missed it.

“I watched the game [against Mali] and I feel we could have done better. But we still have another opportunity to do better in the second game.

“I think we just need to be clinical; if we get one chance, we must score and close the game. That’s all we have to do.”

Sithole echoed Mokoena’s sentiments and reflected on how their failure to match Mali’s physicality led to them losing the clash.

“I think we need to win the game to be on the safe side; a win can be more than enough for us,” Sithole said.

“The first game was more difficult because the opponent knew what our strengths were, but I think in the first half we dominated the game.

“Coming to the second half, I think the changes they made improved their team.

“I think they were more aggressive in the second half and that helped them control the game.” 

Namibia captain Peter Shalulile believes knowing some Bafana Bafana players from his club, Mamelodi Sundowns, will count for nothing when they meet.

Shalulile will come up against his teammates at Sundowns, such as Bafana defenders Mothobi Mvala, Khuliso Mudau and Aubrey Modiba.

“You are not guaranteed a win even when you know you play with some guys because the national team is something else, especially the players you play with,” Shalulile said.

“But come Sunday, you never know what type of a game we will bring. If we can bring our A-game, you will never know.

“But I’m always hoping for a result. We are just hoping for the best for us and trying to make it out of the group stages. That’s our aim.”

Some familiar faces from Namibia ply their trade in the Premier Soccer League.

Players like Orlando Pirates’ Deon Hotto, who scored the winner for the Brave Warriors when they stunned Tunisia 1-0 on Tuesday, Lloydt Kazapua (Chippa United), Riaan Hanamub (AmaZulu), Bethuel Muzeu (Black Leopards) and Lubeni Haukongo (Cape Town Spurs) all play in SA.

Shalulile said they would give their best against Bafana as they look for a second win.

“Bafana are a good team, that’s one thing. Good players, we all know, but for us, we take it game by game and all we promise is to pitch up and give our best,” he said.

Ivory Coast are hoping to have striker Sebastien Haller back from injury for their last Africa Cup of Nations group game after their coach Jean-Louis Gasset admitted they were outmuscled against Nigeria on Thursday.

The host nation lost 1-0 in their second Group A game and are now under pressure to get a result when they conclude the opening phase of the tournament against Equatorial Guinea on Monday.

The Ivorians are third in the group standings with three points, one behind both Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria, and will be looking for a win to make sure of their progress to the last 16.

Gasset said he hoped Haller, who missed the opening two games with an ankle injury, would be back to help add some bite to his side.

“The medical team has been working day and night to get him ready.

“His ankle is healed but it’s the physical work that remains to get him fit.

“I sincerely hope that Sebastien will be able to participate in the third match with us.”

The tall Borussia Dortmund striker will provide a focal point for the Ivorian attacks, which were easily stymied by a five-man Nigerian defence on Thursday in a disappointing spectacle for the home fans.

“It was a very physical match. Nigeria chose to defend very low with a five-man defence. They slowed us down by refusing to play.

“We had to be patient, we had to be defensive, we had to try and get past them on the wing,” Gasset, France’s former assistant coach, said.

“We didn’t feel like we could compete physically. We had opportunities when we got the ball into their box, but it was the big Nigerians who inevitably cleared the ball.

“In the end it was a small detail that made the difference and gave them a penalty.”

A kick in the calf of Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen from 20-year-old Ivorian defender Ousmane Diomande led to a penalty after a lengthy VAR review and William Troost-Ekong converted to hand Nigeria a first win on Ivorian soil.

“We have a young team without much experience, though plenty in terms of quality.

“I didn’t have the impression that the Nigerian team was superior to us but there is still work to be done.

“This is the start of the competition. We won the first game, we lost the second. We will do our best to win the third,” Gasset said.

Egypt in 2006 were the last host nation to win the Cup of Nations. — Reuters

— Additional reporting by Neville Khoza