Cape Town - Despite Bafana Bafana having had their 2017 African Cup of Nations qualification campaign virtually ended on Tuesday, coach Shakes Mashaba says his team “will definitely qualify” for the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia.
Bafana huffed and puffed, but couldn’t blow down Cameroon’s defensive wall in a lacklustre 0-0 draw at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Tuesday evening.
Following their 2-2 stalemate in Limbe, Cameroon on Saturday, the South Africans are stuck in third position in Group M with just three points in four games. Cameroon top the log on eight, with Mauritania on seven and Gambia bringing up the rear on two.
Bafana have a slight mathematical chance of still making it to the 2017 Afcon in Gabon with two matches to go, with their best bet being as one of two second-placed teams with the most points across the groups – provided that they win their last two qualifiers against Gambia in June (away) and Mauritania in September (home).
But that is a really long shot as all but one of the second-placed teams have at least two log points more than Bafana out of the 13 groups at the moment.
Mashaba bemoaned the lack of a killer instinct in front of goal as Bafana failed to convert a few chances into goals. But the coach has to take some of the blame for that outcome as he kept the leading South African goal-scorer in the Premiership – Ajax Cape Town striker Prince Nxumalo – on the bench in both games against Cameroon, while the second highest in Thobani Mncwango from Polokwane City didn’t even make the squad.
Instead, Mashaba stuck with the experienced Tokelo Rantie, who – even though he scored a well-taken goal in Limbe on Saturday – missed a number of other chances, and it was clear to see that his lack of game time and injury problems at English Premier League club Bournemouth contributed to his listless display.
Even more surprising was the selection of Orlando Pirates striker Thamsanqa Gabuza, who has scored just two goals for his club this season and was unable to crack the Buccaneers’ starting line-up over the last few months.
“I think for Gabon, the lights are getting dimmer and dimmer now – we don’t have to tell ourselves lies. But there is still something to play for. We have to work hard for the qualifiers of the 2018 World Cup. I think with this kind of performance, build up on it, we will definitely qualify for the World Cup,” Mashaba said in a post-match TV interview with SuperSport.
“We had a good plan, especially after we played them (in Limbe). We knew they would come down here to defend and secure a point, which would do them good. But we still had the same big problem – finishing up. We created close to six or seven chances in the second half, but we want to take the ball into the back of the net instead of shooting. But I think the boys must have learned a lot in these (games).
“I think we had some defensive errors in central defence – we were allowing them to go through. Even now in the last 10 to 12 minutes, they nearly scored two goals because the guys tend to forget what is actually happening.
“But I can tell you, this is a good team for the future. We need to just find (the right players) in key positions, especially in the striking force. Because we do create, we do get into the goal area of the opposition – just to tap the ball into the net, that is still a big problem.”
Bafana’s next official assignment is an Afcon qualifier against Gambia away on June 4, with their final game against Mauritania at home on September 3.
South Africa made it through the preliminary 2018 World Cup qualifying phase by beating Angola home and away 4-1 on aggregate in November last year. The draw for the final group stage qualifying will take place in Cairo on June 24.
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