Cape Town - Getting rid of the “favourites” mentality and picking players on form are the only way to go if Bafana Bafana ever hope to be a force in Africa and even world soccer once again.
Shakes Mashaba was a breath of fresh air when he came in for his third (or fourth or fifth, I’ve lost count) stint as Bafana head coach in July 2014. The 65-year-old is always positive about his team’s chances, which is the way it should be.
He made some bold selections too, backing newer faces such as youngster Rivaldo Coetzee, Thulani Hlatshwayo and Anele Ngcongca and eventually getting rid of “deadwood” such as Siphiwe Tshabalala and Reneilwe Letsholonyane.
But his selection and tactics for Saturday’s crucial African Cup of Nations qualifier against Cameroon in Limbe didn’t make much sense. This wasn’t just any old friendly where Mashaba could try to play a few stalwarts back into form, or give game time to those who weren’t regular starters at their clubs.
It was a must-win game, as the South Africans had already suffered an embarrassing 3-1 defeat to Mauritania in September last year, while they also drew with lowly Gambia in June.
So, Mashaba had to go an all-out attack, and he had the ammunition to fire some serious shots at Cameroon – but he didn’t use them in the end, and it resulted in a 2-2 draw that has virtually ended Bafana’s hopes of reaching Gabon 2017.
The best South African striker in the Premiership, Prince Nxumalo of Ajax Cape Town, was inexplicably left on the substitutes’ bench. Nxumalo has banged in 11 goals for the Urban Warriors in the league this season, which is second only to Zambian veteran Collins Mbesuma’s 13.
So, surely Nxumalo had to start against Cameroon? Instead, Mashaba went with Thamsanqa Gabuza, who has netted just twice for Orlando Pirates and was dropped by club coach Eric Tinkler recently, to partner the experienced front-man Tokelo Rantie.
Gabuza looked totally out of his depth and off the pace in the opening 45 minutes as he barely had a touch of the ball, and he was replaced by Thulani Serero at halftime.
Mind you, Rantie has also fallen out of favour at English Premier League club Bournemouth, and was injured since January, which may see him go out on loan to another side soon.
The powerful figure of Rantie took his goal well when a superb Andile Jali pass split the Cameroonians’ defence, and the striker rounded the goalkeeper to finish smartly with his left. But he missed a number of other chances as well, with one in particular that should have been buried when Jali chipped over the top to put Rantie in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper. Rantie paused and failed to pull the trigger, and the opportunity was lost.
Another top local star unfortunate to miss out was Wits winger Jabulani Shongwe, who has been an integral part of Gavin Hunt’s team’s rise to second position on the Premiership log behind Mamelodi Sundowns.
And there are others too, such as Polokwane City captain Jabu Maluleke and striker Thobani Mncwango (who has nine goals and is the second-highest South African on the Premiership scoring chart) who have been overlooked.
The experienced Sundowns midfielder Hlompho Kekana justified his selection with one of the best ever Bafana goals with a 60-yard from inside his own half.
Now the South Africans need other results to go their way to make it to the 2017 Afcon. But there is still the final stage of the 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifiers to come, with the draw to be made in June 24 in Cairo. Let’s hope Mashaba spreads the selection wider and chooses players on form, and not on reputation or the club they play for.
@IndyCapeSport
Independent Media