Johannesburg - Bafana Bafana have one last shot to keep the nations hopes of a second Afcon trophy alive. Here are five things they need to do to beat Ghana:
Please pull the trigger
Watching Bafana at this Africa Cup of Nations has been like visiting to a strip club: The build-up is lovely to watch, but nobody scores at the end of the night. South Africa have played some of the best and most attractive football of this tournament, with some nice combination play. Their pace has been too much to deal with for both Algeria and Senegal, who were carved up in Bafana’s first two Afcon matches. But they have been guilty of over-elaboration in front of goal, with the players looking for another pass instead of trying to have a crack at goal. Tokelo Rantie, Sibusiso Vilakazi and Bernard Parker have to start taking responsibility upfront, because there aren’t any extra points on offer for scoring beautiful goals. Captain Dean Furman hit the crossbar with one of the handful of shots from outside the penalty area, so why not have another couple of pots against Ghana?
Don’t lose concentration
There isn’t much to do in Mongomo. In fact this is a one-horse town without a horse... So goodness knows where the Bafana players’ minds drifted off to during crucial moments in their first two matches. That spell after Rantie’s missed penalty and Thulani Hlatshwayo’s own goal against Algeria may cost them a spot in the quarter-finals. Bafana lost their shape and completely fell apart, and they conceded three rather simple goals in the space of 20 minutes against the Desert Foxes. Against Senegal, Bafana also went to sleep from the set-piece which the Lions of Teranga scored from, as the goalkeeper Jackson Mabokgwane and his defenders looked each other deep into the eye and wondered who is going to jump and clear the ball. Bafana can’t afford any slip-ups tonight. Quality players punish mistakes, and this Ghana side is a classy outfit.
Appoint a permanent captain before the Ghana match
Coach Shakes Mashaba’s captaincy rotation seems to be backfiring. The logic of grooming 11 leaders on the field is a good one. But what if 11 leaders need some leadership themselves? Dean Furman has captained Bafana in the first two matches, but he seems to be afraid to impose himself on the team and take the job by the scruff of the neck. Furman is one of the senior players in the side, and a guy who is in everybody’s ear at training sessions and during a match. So why not give him the captaincy armband on a permanent basis, instead of saying “we are going to see who strikes it lucky in the next match”. Bafana need a permanent leader who can take control and have the confidence to do that. They needed that sort of leadership during that shaky period against Algeria, and they needed the guidance so that they don’t repeat the same mistake against Senegal.
Jali and Furman need to start firing as a duo
Andile Jali and Furman were phenomenal in the Bafana engine room during the qualifiers. They were an integral part of Bafana’s counter-attacking strategy, as they broke up attacks and then got the team moving forward at a rate of knots. However, the duo’s road show in Mongomo has been a bit disappointing, as they haven’t really fired a unit. In the first match against Algeria, Jali was a class above any other midfielder on the pitch, including Tottenham Hotspur’s Nabil Bentaleb. The former Orlando Pirates man got forward from midfield and added numbers to Bafana’s attacks. But in the second match it was Furman who had an absolute blinder when he kept the physical Senegalese players at bay. Tonight, though, both players will have to fire against a Ghana side with lots of pace and skill going forward. Furman and Jali also need to give their attacking players the platform to try and improve their goal difference.
Mathoho must keep Gyan quiet
Eric Mathoho is one of the most undervalued players in this Bafana side. He was probably the team’s best player in the qualifiers, along with the late Senzo Meyiwa, as South Africa only conceded three goals in six matches. But he is going to come up against one of African football’s great strikers in Asamoah Gyan, and the battle between the two could be key element as far the outcome of the match, and the group, is concerned. Mathoho is a colossus in the air, while he is also comfortable with the ball at his feet. He will also have to guide Ayanda Gcaba next two him, as Rivaldo Coetzee may be a bit of a risk against Ghana because of his lack of match practice. Gyan had a bout of malaria last week, and came back to play 90 minutes of football and score a goal against Algeria. Goodness knows what he can do when he is properly fit!
The Star