Johannesburg - Shakes Mashaba’s relationship with the media took another hit on Wednesday when the Bafana Bafana coach ignored requests from reporters to discuss Saturday’s must-win 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Cameroon in Limbe.
With interviews scheduled in Soweto after a Bafana training session earlier on Wednesday morning cancelled to accommodate a sponsorship announcement at Safa House, the assumption was that Mashaba - or perhaps one of the players - would talk to the gathered journalists.
However, the coach offered one sarcastic comment to a question about his preparation for back-to-back matches against Group M leaders Cameroon.
“The only thing left for us to do is catch our flight,” said Mashaba before refusing to address journalists eager to quiz him ahead of such a crucial qualifier.
Bafana host the Indomitable Lions in Durban three days after Saturday’s game, with anything less than a draw in Limbe likely to end South Africa’s hopes of participating at Afcon 2017, which is to be held in Gabon.
Mashaba’s stunt on the eve of Bafana’s departure to Doula, where they will arrive this afternoon around 3pm and endure an 80km drive to their base in Limbe, was perhaps his response to this week’s criticism that he was again faced with a defining moment in his tenure as coach, but seemingly could not be bothered about the quality of the opposition.
The players - much like when Bafana travelled to Nouakchott to face Mauritania in September last year - have had to rely on what they know of their west African opposition from their recent past.
And because the Indomitable Lions hired a Belgian coach in Hugo Broos last month, the South Africans based in that part of the world, among them goalkeeper Darren Keet and former Orlando Pirates player Andile Jali, will be forced to brush up on what little they know about the new Cameroon coach.
Although he is currently on the books of a French team, right-back Anele Ngcongca could also be a useful source of information.
Ngcongca played in the Belgian Jupiter League for nearly a decade before his loan move to Troyes seven months ago.
With the Bafana coach unavailable for comment, Safa chief executive Dennis Mumble was left to do the talking - and he didn’t mince his words about what is expected of the national team.
“We must qualify for the 2017 Afcon and the 2018 World Cup (in Russia) and we still hold to those guidelines,” said Mumble.
He added that he believed Mashaba’s men were good enough to bounce back from their failure to get maximum points from their opening two qualifiers.
“Who expected the result in Mauritania last year?
“There is nothing that stops us from competing well in this group.
“From what I have seen, we are confident that the team can do well from both these matches.”
The Star