THEY may have returned from the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) sooner than expected, but Bafana Bafana coach Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba has picked up some positives and identified the areas that need work.
Bafana arrived home to a hero’s welcome at the OR Tambo airport on Saturday, despite having lost to Algeria (3-1), Ghana (2-1) and drawing with Senegal (1-1).
Speaking to SunSport, Mashaba shared his list of positives and negatives compiled during their short stay in Equatorial Guinea. So, from the horse’s mouth, here are Mashaba’s pros and cons.
POSITIVES:
- Bafana were mentally and physically ready. They assessed the situation and concluded their time was now.
- They played well in the Afcon qualifiers, building their performance and narrowing gaps. After the qualifiers they realised anything was possible. They saw a place for themselves at Afcon and decided to set high standards.
- It was a challenge to be in the so-called group of death (Group C) but they were not scared. They were confident and made their intentions clear. That belief and foundation were not without intention or cause.
- The new team of young and enthusiastic players showed signs of bonding from the onset. Players were hungry to make a name for themselves, physically they were sharp and mentally they were prepared.
- Most of these players were playing together at this level for the first time and were therefore free of mental blocks of past experience or any prejudices.
- They did well against top class countries like Nigeria in the qualifiers. Bafana were ready for the finals.
NEGATIVES:
“I was serious when I said I had packed for six weeks and had no intentions of coming back earlier than that. I am sure you can understand the disappointment,” Mashaba said.
- There was a complaint about the players who got selected, but the technical staff used the criteria the coach applied.
- The plan was to go and kill the final, but unfortunately it didn’t go that way.
- The international stage became too big for some players. It was too late to make any changes at that stage and they had to improvise. This became one of the big mistakes. They were complacent about their mandate to produce a competitive team for Russia in 2018.
-They failed to sustain their starting momentum, which was a learning experience.
-They lacked the ability to draw from past experience. They brought in tried and tested players who have been in and out of the national team. “Some were not that good and no one is more disappointed than they are,” he notes.
- The team must revisit tactics and implement changes.
He concluded that he was sorry that Bafana didn’t live up to expectations.
“But I don’t want people to take this sorry as an admission of guilt. We are not admitting guilt, this is our way of sympathising with our people because we know we raised their hopes.
“I say to you that there is always a next time.”
