Let’s not beat around the bush: this Bafana Bafana side is not the same team that topped their qualifying group to qualify for the Fifa World Cup for the first time since 2002.
In the two matches they have played so far, Bafana have offered precious little attacking threat.
Against a highly fancied Mexico side ranked 11th in the world, that was somewhat understandable. As tournament co-hosts, Mexico were always expected to dominate and they did exactly that, with Bafana seeing just 39% of the ball. Conceding in the eighth minute appeared to disrupt whatever game plan Hugo Broos had prepared, and a Plan B never seemed to materialise.
Going forward, Bafana were utterly toothless and the 2-0 scoreline was probably the best outcome they could have hoped for after doing well to avoid conceding more goals.
Bafana’s Dominant Possession Against Czechia Fails to Yield Victory
Against Czechia, ranked 44th in the world, Bafana dominated many of the key statistics, including 61% possession in Atlanta, but once again conceded inside the opening 10 minutes.
They eventually equalised through a Teboho Mokoena penalty in the 83rd minute, but the single point leaves plenty of work to do heading into their final group match as they have not looked like scoring a goal in open play.
Despite looking the better side in possession, Bafana did precious little with the ball. It was only during the final 15 minutes that they showed any real urgency going forward.
Even then, creativity was in short supply. The best example came from a free kick just outside the box. Instead of testing the goalkeeper directly, the ball was laid off and the eventual shot was comfortably blocked by the Czechia defence, who gratefully accepted the extra time to close down the opportunity.
Bafana’s Set-Piece Struggles and the Need for a Return to Attacking Urgency
The worrying part is that it wasn’t an isolated incident.
Bafana attempted virtually the same routine against Mexico from a dangerous position, once again choosing to lay the ball off rather than take a direct shot at goal.
There are at least a handful of Betway Premiership clubs that execute set-pieces with greater conviction than Bafana currently do, which is surprising considering how many locally based players make up the national squad.
What made this Bafana team so successful during qualifying was their willingness to play on the front foot, move the ball quickly and commit numbers forward when opportunities presented themselves.
That urgency and attacking intent appear to have evaporated on football’s biggest stage.
If Bafana are to keep their World Cup dream alive against South Korea, the version of the team that dominated qualifying needs to reappear — and quickly.
@Michael_Sherman
IOL Sport
* The views expressed are not necessarily the views of IOL or Independent Media.
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