Gutsy Bafana hold true to the mantra: In football, the team is everything
You would think that, after such a fine victory over Senegal, there would an be air of celebration, a mood of optimism, wafting around football in South Africa. Not so, not in a country where humility is as rare as a snowbird in hell.
Because, as it is, the latest development is that Safa has instituted disciplinary proceedings against Bafana Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba for an incident that took place after the game against Senegal.
The association refuses to comment any further or explain what happened, but indications are that it has to do with Mashaba showing disrespect towards Safa president Danny Jordaan. For the friendly against Mozambique Tuesday, assistant coach Owen da Gama will take charge of Bafana.
Mashaba, no doubt, remembers that, two months ago, Jordaan was highly critical of his tenure in charge of Bafana. The Senegal victory was payback time, an opportunity for Mashaba to get a dig in. Humility, as I say, is in short supply all across this frustrating country, in all spheres of life and work.
With the latest development, it certainly seems as if Mashaba’s job is hanging by a thread. Probably one of the main reasons why he wasn’t axed after a failed Afcon 2017 campaign was that paying out his contract would have cost Safa a penny. Now, with Mashaba facing disciplinary measures, it could be the association’s opening to get rid of a coach who has been a public relations nightmare.
But, while Safa negotiates the latest controversy, let’s focus on that magnificent success over Senegal. With a large slice of good fortune and huge dollops of courage and commitment in defence, Bafana edged out the star-studded west Africans 2-1 in a fractious 2018 World Cup qualifier in Polokwane on Saturday afternoon. It’s the result the SA national football team required to ensure they remain on the front foot when the African qualifying schedule continues next year.
As it stands, Burkina Faso and Bafana are on four points, Senegal on three and Cape Verde still to get on the board. But, job done it may be, there’s still a long road to travel and it’s important that Bafana stay humble and not get carried away. Too often, South Africans celebrate short-term success and fail to focus on the long-term, bigger picture. With a place at the 2018 World Cup in Russia at stake, this is not the time for arrogance. (Unfortunately, the team’s smug and brash head coach has already blotted that copybook).
While there was a lot to like about Bafana’s performance on Saturday, it’s also vital to note that they profited from a shocking call from Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey, when he awarded the South Africans a penalty even though the ball never touched the hand of a Senegalese defender. But, in sport, when Lady Luck turns her fickle visage to flash a broad, bountiful smile at you, then there’s no other choice but to grab it gleefully and revel in the opportunity. At that stage, when the penalty was controversially awarded, Bafana were on top, playing some neat passing football, and when they went 2-0 up through Thulani Serero just before half-time, it was certainly deserved. The South Africans then held on, in the face of relentless second half pressure from the Senegalese, to pull off the win.
Not many gave Bafana a chance, including me, but the players rose to the occasion, and produced a performance worthy of the national jersey. The difference between winning and losing was, put simply, team work. Truth be told, Senegal, for all their star quality, played like a bunch of disparate individuals, while Bafana held true to the mantra that, in football, the team is everything.
Serero may be out of favour at his Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam, but he was all class. His touch and instinct were superb, and his almost telepathic understanding with teammate Keagan Dolly was hugely influential in unlocking the Senegal defence. The two former Ajax Cape Town stars led the charge in attack, while at the back Eric Mathoho, Rivaldo Coetzee, Thulani Hlatshwayo and Thabo Matlaba stood firm and strong. Now 20 years old, Coetzee has been in the Bafana set-up since the age of 17, and he continues to astound with his maturity and all-round excellence.
Hlatshwayo was, as always, a warrior, Mathoho a towering presence and Matlaba a composed figure in the heat of battle. Every Bafana player made a valuable contribution, from the tireless, unselfish work of Eleazar Rodgers, the determined industry of debut man Tiyani Mabunda and flash and dash of Mpho Makola out wide. And then, of course, there was the jack-in-the-box, Energizer Bunny in the form of Andile Jali. He snapped at ankles, he covered the grass and played an incredible role in acting as the glue that held everything together for Bafana.
It wasn’t the perfect performance, certainly not. There are still some glaring shortcomings in the Bafana make-up, which, thankfully, weren’t exploited by Senegal - like the team’s pressing game, the manner in which the defence is organised and structured, and tactically, too, they need to be more disciplined.
But, as a watching public, all a nation can ask for is heart, determination and good, old-fashioned guts! We definitely got that from Bafana on Saturday.
PS: On a related note, with regard to coaches, there may have been some measure of improvement under Mashaba on Saturday, but if there’s a team looking rather clueless and palpably uncoached, then surely it’s the Springboks!
Cape Times