BAFANA Bafana still have a way to go before they can start challenging the top guns in Africa and the world.
That was the view of a disappointed Bafana head coach Stuart Baxter after his side were beaten 2-1 by Senegal in Dakar and finished bottom of their 2018 World Cup group.
The Lions of Teranga won the group and qualified for the world showpiece in Russia next June.
Said Baxter: “We have to become more steely and difficult to beat without relinquishing the type of football we know we can play. But most of all this campaign has been a question of not taking our chances and turning them into goals at vital times. . . ”
Baxter said there were positives despite a poor campaign that saw Bafana collect only four points from six matches.
He said: “We showed we can play against top opposition. But there is a lot of work ahead. We need consistency and more professionalism as we continue to develop a type of football that is a refection of South Africa.
“We need to get a balance of efficiency and flamboyance.”
Baxter said one of the drawbacks was the fact that he joined the squad in the middle of the campaign: “I had 200-odd days – it takes more time to get your ideas across.”
But he added: “There was also the confusion over the replay of our home game against Senegal, which did not help in terms of the mental aspect of the game.”
French-based midfielder Bongani Zungu said they had a duty to bounce back and qualify for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
Said Zungu: “We have to pick up our heads and do well in the Afcon. We have to put the ball in the back of the net.
“We had some easy chances and couldn’t score. If you don’t take your chances the opposition will.”