A place in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) last 16 was secured, but relief for South Africa is heavily laced with apprehension.
Despite Bafana Bafana’s thrilling 3-2 victory over Zimbabwe, which booked their knockout ticket, coach Hugo Broos delivered a stark and worrying assessment of his team’s tournament form.
Caution against ‘soft’ errors
He warned that a repeat of their “soft” error-strewn performances will see their journey end abruptly against continental giants Ivory Coast or Cameroon.
The win exposed persistent defensive frailties and a troubling lack of concentration. This has the coach deeply concerned.
South Africa advanced to the last 16 of the Afcon after a pulsating 5-goal thriller against neighbouring Zimbabwe in their final Group B encounter at the Stade de Marrakech on Monday night.
Bafana allowed Zimbabwe to equalise on two occasions. The goals were conceded due to schoolboy errors in the midfield and defence.
Broos is known for not holding back during his press conferences. He said he is worried about how his side started the tournament, and they will have to rectify their mistakes if they are to continue their journey in the Afcon.
Lack of aggression a concern
“This is something I am worried about because it happened again in this game and against Angola. Even in the first half against Egypt, we were soft and weak. We were not determined in duels, and there was no aggression,” Broos said.
“We started with aggression in the first 20 minutes against Zimbabwe. But we took the foot off the pedal and allowed the opponent to get back in the game.
“We must learn to have concentration because it is either Ivory Coast or Cameroon in the next round. And we can’t play like that against them. If we do that, we have no chance to win that game.”
Broos also added that certain individuals have not raised their hands, expressing his dissatisfaction with them.
Victory is not a given, it’s earned
“I am not happy with the performance and the way some players are acting on the pitch. This is something we must work on. It was there from the beginning of the tournament.
“We must know [that] the progression we have made over the past two to three years does not mean you will come to the pitch and win the game. I said it before the tournament; this is going to be tougher than the one in the Ivory Coast,” he added.
Bafana will know who their next opponent will be after the last round of matches of matchday three. This is scheduled for Tuesday night.
