Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki has conceded that he came off second best in terms of tactics to his Ghanaian counterpart Kwesi Appiah as the Black Stars got their 2021 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification campaign off to a good start with a 2-0 win.
Coming to this game, Ntseki had fielded a lot of questions from the Ghanaian media on how this game would be fought tactically.
Besides the two goals conceded coming from mistakes made by Bafana players, the team struggled to impose their game on the hosts.
Appiah congested the midfield and didn’t allow Bafana the space to play their normal passing game. Leading to Ntseki to says, Appiah’s tactics were spot on, on the day.
One of the critical changes that Ntseki made towards the end of the game was to take out Thembinkosi Lorch for Kermit Erasmus.
This left him with three strikers on the pitch, Lebohang Mothiba at the top and Percy Tau out wide. Ntseki explains the overloading that he was trying to do on the attack.
There have been calls for the current Bafana team to be transformed with more youthful players taking up their rightful place. Kudus Mohammed, the Ghanaian attacker who scored the second goal last night, is only 19 and played at the FIFA U17 World Cup two years ago in India.
Ntseki, a former SA U17 national team coach says the playing personnel in this team will change next year.
All eyes will be on Ntseki and on whether he will continue with the back four of captain Thulani Hlatshwayo and his two Bidvest Wits teammates Buhle Mkhwanazi and Sifiso Hlanti and Mkhize. Hlatshwayo says they have to deliver on Sunday.
Sudan currently leads Group C after beating Sao Tome and Principe 4-0 on Wednesday. – Report by Velile Mnyandu
