Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has given his thoughts on why his team struggled in their two Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Uganda and South Sudan.
In both games, the team needed the left boot of Thalente Mbatha to get them out of a hole and rescue some pride.
Last week, with Bafana trailing 2-1 against Uganda, Mbatha scored in the 94th to rescue a point at Orlando Stadium. And on Tuesday afternoon in South Sudan, Mbatha scored again in the 95th minute to win the game 3-2 for Bafana.
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ⒼⓄⒶⓁ : Thalente Mbatha with an essential goal for Bafana Bafana!
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Speaking after the match, Broos said the lack of domestic football contributed to his team’s rustiness. The Betway Premiership only resumes this coming weekend, meaning the national team players have not seen any competitive action.
“We don’t have enough sharpness in our game because of the [players] lack of competitive games, 80% of my team of the 23 players, only played friendly games because the [league] didn’t start in South Africa,” Broos said, as quoted by iDiskiTimes.
“So when we play Uganda and South Sudan, who are very aggressive, very dedicated on the field, you have to be as sharp as they are, and that’s not the case at the moment for South Africa.
“Next weekend the competition begins in South Africa, and in October we will be sharper [for the next games]. It was my fear for these two games, I saw South Sudan and Uganda, and it was a fear we had a lack of sharpness and yeah it was like that.
“We’re lucky that the good Lord was with us in those two games, that we scored in the 94th and today in the 95th minute.”
After two games, Broos’ men are second in Group K with four points. They will be next in action in October with two games against Congo.
IOL Sport