Cape Town - The South African national football squad return home from Equatorial Guineaon Saturday after crashing out of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
After a 3-1 loss to Algeria, a 1-1 draw with Senegal and a 2-1 defeat to Ghana, Bafana Bafana finished bottom of Group C. While they showed promise at times, it was evident the national team is still quite a way behind the best sides on the continent.
The experience is sure to have been a chastening exercise for Bafana and head coach Shakes Mashaba. There was way too much over-confidence and boasting ahead of their participation and far too little respect for their opponents. It’s a typical South African attitude - and, perhaps, after being humbled at Afcon, there will now be a greater understanding of the tons of work still to do, and an awareness of Bafana’s true position in the African football hierarchy.
The performance post-mortem will reflect that Mashaba’s men did extremely well in attack. They created much and were energetic and effervescent in and around the penalty area. The commitment, desire and pride in the jersey, so prevalent since the appointment of Mashaba as coach, were also again evident.
But the negative column is the one that needs to be focused on. The team’s defensive frailties, which includes the tardy closing and pressing of opponents, the aerial vulnerability and the general organisation, cohesion and tactical discipline in this regard, will require some serious thought by Mashaba.
And a good idea would be for the SA Football Association (Safa) to appoint a technical director to assist the coach in the development and nurturing of the next Bafana generation. It was clear throughout the tournament that Mashaba was tactically limited.
Together with this, of course, Bafana were the masters of their own disaster, in that they were always unable to finish off their opponents when they had them on the ropes.
They took the lead in each of the three games and then surrendered their advantage. In fact, in the opening match against Algeria, the No 1-ranked team in Africa, Bafana had a chance to go 2-0 up, but missed a penalty. And the failure to make opportunities count proved to be another downfall of the team at Afcon.
“We gave it away.... we scored, but then couldn’t consolidate,” said Mashaba. “We need to go back to the basics, knowing when to do things, how to do things, and where to do them. You need that ability to kill a game…
“Also, when you’re one goal up, you have to buy time… Yet we were just giving the ball back to opponents, and they came at us and that’s where the problem is.”
Bafana captain Dean Furman also alluded to the team’s defensive woes and tactical deficiencies. “In all three games, we dropped a little too deep, inviting pressure on ourselves. And against these top teams, with top strikers, and you will get punished… that’s exactly what happened to us.
“We have to work on our game of staying solid, while still allowing the team to play an exciting, expanding game of football. There are many positives to take, but those are the key areas to work on to make this team a success.
“We came to the tournament with high hopes, But I suppose we let ourselves down. We have a lot of positives to talk about, but we have to look at where we went wrong. There are many areas where we still need to improve. Overall, though, the experience was important, we have to learn from where we went wrong and, hopefully next time around, we will be a lot stronger.
“I am proud to have been in this team, with some exciting youngsters with great talent, and that’s something we displayed in the three games.”
Former Cape Town Spurs legend Boebie Solomons, now the coach of national First Division side Cape Town All Stars, watched closely on television, and has a few thoughts on Bafana’s performance.
Solomons, who has also coached Santos, Wits, Black Leopards and Polokwane City, is a keen student of the game, with a deep insight into the tactical developments in the sport.
“Look, to be honest, I didn’t think we would get too far in the tournament,” said Solomons.
“It was a young squad and I think the aim was to prepare the team for the future. It was all about grooming these young players, exposing them to the experience, so I wasn’t too surprise that they never made the next stage.
“While I think Bafana played well in patches, the fact that they encountered a higher quality of opponent was too much for them at this stage. They will be better for the experience.
“I think the defensive problems started right at the back with the goalkeeper. You must always remember that is why a goalkeeper is the team’s number one.
“At that level, if you don’t have experience in that position, it results in errors. A good goalkeeper marshals the defence, communicates, and is there to guide and settle the defence.
“That did not happen for Bafana.
“Also, in central defence, a team needs a leader, someone who commands and acts as a general. He rallies those around him in defensive situations. This was another shortcoming in the Bafana squad.”
Opinion, criticism and advice will continue to stream in in the aftermath of Bafana’s Afcon capitulation - and there is much that needs attention.
It is now up to Safa, Mashaba and the technical director - if football’s governing body ever makes a decision on this much-needed position - to take into consideration the Afcon weaknesses, think carefully, and plot the way forward.
Weekend Argus