South Africa’s Under-23 coach David Notoane and his troops find themselves between a rock and a hard place as they gear up to take on Congo Brazzaville in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) second leg at Stade Alphonse Massemba-Débat in Brazzaville tomorrow.
The Under-23 national team face a mountain heading into the encounter after they were held to a 1-1 stalemate at Dobsonville Stadium on Thursday afternoon.
The South Africans did not use their home ground advantage, with the likes of Kaizer Chiefs young prospect Samkelo Zwane and AmaZulu midfielder Ethan Brooks not coming to the party against a well-organised Brazzaville side.
Notoane’s charges were punished for their complacency when they conceded on the brink of half-time to trail the game 1-0.
The introduction of striker Boitumelo Radiopane, Mduduzi Shabalala and Southampton’s Kgaugelo Chauke in the second stanza paid dividends as they brought some spark and quality into the game.
Shabalala provided an assist for Thapelo Maseko, who was the liveliest and caused problems for the visitors on the wing.
After the match, Notoane admitted his side was not mentally prepared for the result, however, he is confident they can turn the game around in central Africa.
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