Bafana Bafana want to wrap up their 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification with two matches to spare by beating Congo at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Wednesday, but coach Shakes Mashaba has warned they will face “wounded tigers”.
Bafana beat Congo 2-0 in an inspired fighting performance in Pointe-Noire on Saturday to snatch the lead of Group A.
SA can go to 10 points with another win against Claude le Roy’s Red Devils, enough to qualify for Morocco 2015 given the permutations of the Confederation of African Football’s head-to-head rule.
“We want to do it. Even if it’s 1-0, even if there was a half-nil, I would say let’s take it and get the three points,” Mashaba said.
“We said the tougher game will be at home. Because now we beat them, and they will come back as wounded tigers.
“And I know a lot of people have been saying they’ve got a world-class coach. Let me tell you, it’s not about coaches. It’s about players. And if players can carry instructions onto the field, the coach will get the glory. But if the players cannot do it, it’s the coach who gets the blame.”
Bafana’s impressive organisation pleased Mashaba more than some outstanding individual performances.
SA overwhelmed Congo with second-half goals from Bongani Ndulula and Tokelo Rantie.
Mashaba’s side were clearly better structured, and overwhelmed the central Africans with a committed defence and quick-passing football in attack.
“When you play good football without scoring, it counts for nothing. If you score and don’t play a good game, at least it counts for three points,” Mashaba said.
“If you look here, make no mistake, we are playing good football. It’s quite some time – I haven’t seen our teams playing like this.
“One, they’re beaming with confidence. And the combinations we’re seeing, there’s that element of safety first, which is why we’re not so worried about teams attacking us.
“The combination of the team is the thing that makes me feel we’re gradually achieving our goals.”
Assistant coach Thabo Senong said the level of organisation in the PSL, and work being done by coaches such as Kaizer Chiefs’ Stuart Baxter, Pitso Mosimane at Mamelodi Sundowns and Bidvest Wits’ Gavin Hunt, is making the SA technical staff’s work easier by transferring to the national team.
For Bafana on Saturday, both wingers, Thulani Serero and Mandla Masango, were on fire; and both strikers, Ndulula and Rantie, scored.
Behind them Andile Jali and Dean Furman were again a rock in central midfield.
It was too much for a less tactically disciplined Congo to cope with.
“They couldn’t handle it,” Mashaba said.
“What came out good, firstly, was we didn’t have gaps between our lines.
“The defenders were pressing towards our midfield, and midfielders pushing to support the strikers.
“At some stages I saw us attacking with five players. Andile would push out of central midfield, and you would have Mandla and Serero and the two strikers.”
Bafana have yet to concede a goal in the qualifiers, and goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa was again in fine form.
“By rights we should have conceded one or two goals against Congo. But the goalkeeper did very well, the defenders twice cleared from the line,” Mashaba said.
Shakes braces for tough clash
Bafana beat Congo 2-0 in an inspired fighting performance in Pointe-Noire on Saturday to snatch the lead of Group A.
SA can go to 10 points with another win against Claude le Roy’s Red Devils, enough to qualify for Morocco 2015 given the permutations of the Confederation of African Football’s head-to-head rule.
“We want to do it. Even if it’s 1-0, even if there was a half-nil, I would say let’s take it and get the three points,” Mashaba said.
“We said the tougher game will be at home. Because now we beat them, and they will come back as wounded tigers.
“And I know a lot of people have been saying they’ve got a world-class coach. Let me tell you, it’s not about coaches. It’s about players. And if players can carry instructions onto the field, the coach will get the glory. But if the players cannot do it, it’s the coach who gets the blame.”
Bafana’s impressive organisation pleased Mashaba more than some outstanding individual performances.
SA overwhelmed Congo with second-half goals from Bongani Ndulula and Tokelo Rantie.
Mashaba’s side were clearly better structured, and overwhelmed the central Africans with a committed defence and quick-passing football in attack.
“When you play good football without scoring, it counts for nothing. If you score and don’t play a good game, at least it counts for three points,” Mashaba said.
“If you look here, make no mistake, we are playing good football. It’s quite some time – I haven’t seen our teams playing like this.
“One, they’re beaming with confidence. And the combinations we’re seeing, there’s that element of safety first, which is why we’re not so worried about teams attacking us.
“The combination of the team is the thing that makes me feel we’re gradually achieving our goals.”
Assistant coach Thabo Senong said the level of organisation in the PSL, and work being done by coaches such as Kaizer Chiefs’ Stuart Baxter, Pitso Mosimane at Mamelodi Sundowns and Bidvest Wits’ Gavin Hunt, is making the SA technical staff’s work easier by transferring to the national team.
For Bafana on Saturday, both wingers, Thulani Serero and Mandla Masango, were on fire; and both strikers, Ndulula and Rantie, scored.
Behind them Andile Jali and Dean Furman were again a rock in central midfield.
It was too much for a less tactically disciplined Congo to cope with.
“They couldn’t handle it,” Mashaba said.
“What came out good, firstly, was we didn’t have gaps between our lines.
“The defenders were pressing towards our midfield, and midfielders pushing to support the strikers.
“At some stages I saw us attacking with five players. Andile would push out of central midfield, and you would have Mandla and Serero and the two strikers.”
Bafana have yet to concede a goal in the qualifiers, and goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa was again in fine form.
“By rights we should have conceded one or two goals against Congo. But the goalkeeper did very well, the defenders twice cleared from the line,” Mashaba said.
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