As Bafana Bafana headed home after exiting the Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea, coach Shakes Mashaba is adamant the national team’s campaign was no failure.
Bafana finished bottom of their group with a single point after losing two matches, 3-1 and 2-1 to Algeria and Ghana respectively, and drawing 1-1 with Senegal.
Mashaba spoke to Safa.net.
Question: Coach, you have had time to sit and reflect on Bafana Bafana’s exit from Afcon 2015. What’s your overall assessment?
Answer: Yes, although we had some time to look back at our performance and reflect on the tournament, it was not enough. The process will continue when we get back home so we can map our way forward. People need to be reminded where we came from, where we are in a very short space of time and where we are going.
We also need to look at Safa’s Vision 2022. When we started, the first phase was to build a team, which I think we have managed to do. The second phase was to qualify the team for Afcon 2015, which we also managed by defeating Sudan and Congo and denying African champions Nigeria a chance to participate in the tournament. After qualifying, our hopes were high and we expected even more success from our team.
I understand why South Africans are disappointed. We are also very disappointed but we are not discouraged because we played the top countries on the continent with a wealth of experience. We still competed and I believe if we used all our scoring chances we would still have been in the tournament.
Q: If we look back, do you think the way we qualified gave us a false sense of belief?
A: It’s a 50/50 thing. After qualifying, partly we said we have arrived more so because we played against strong countries, but at the same time we knew it was going to be tough.
The good thing to have come out in the qualifiers is that we didn’t have a problem of scoring goals but they came from all angles.
Those are some of the positives to have to come out, but yes, negatives also can help shape us going forward.
Q: Did everything go according to plan with preparations?
A: We appreciate the contribution of everyone and there will always be opinions, especially after the fact. We did the best we could to put together a team at short notice but were stopped in our tracks by some injuries, loss of form, players not playing in their clubs and also those who did not heed the national team call-ups. Having said that, I need to compliment all the players for the good job they have done.
Q: Do you have regrets about the players you selected for the tournament?
A: No, not at all. If you look at our selection criteria, the main thing is current form. We had to register players on time and had to build the confidence of the squad, and yes, there is a possibility that by the time we were about to leave, one other player would have raised his hand. But still I don’t have any regrets about the team selection; the players have done well.
Q: Lack of experience from your young squad, did it play a role in the team exiting early?
A: Let me take you back to the Algeria game – 90percent of those players play in big teams but we exposed them. Had we scored the two goals and penalty, we would be talking a different story. We took so many shots at goal but did not convert them into goals.
At the back, the boys stood firm, the middle was solid, but we conceded some rather soft goals.
Q: Looking at the squad, were you disappointed at some players not coming to the party at this tournament?
A: I would say yes, but out of respect I will not mention their names. I have been speaking one on one with all the players.
Q: Some fans are saying if some players were there things would have been different – players like Thulani Serero, Itumeleng Khune, Tefu Mashamaite.
A: Having those players in the team would not have guaranteed us doing well in the tournament. Perhaps people would have loved to see those players in the squad but they were not here.
I don’t have any regrets, and I believe the squad we assembled is one of the best and they gave a good account of themselves.
Q: People say if some overseas-based players were there, things would have improved.
A: We have four overseas-based players in our squad – Andile Jali, Anele Ngcongca, Darren Keet and Dean Furman. Do we have to call all the overseas-based players and forget about our local-based players? We have to blend them into a unit. The latter is correct and that is what we did.
And those who were here from overseas command regular positions at their clubs. I would have been worried to call them from abroad and put them on the bench.
On the other hand, how long have we played in these tournaments with the overseas-based players and not getting the required or desired results?
It should not be a question that a player is based overseas, so he can walk into the team. People need to fight for positions and that is why this team achieved so much. No one is guaranteed a place. It is a fact that if you look at the other teams in the tournament who have overseas-based players, they are a notch ahead because of experience.
Q: You used different players in the three matches, especially the goalkeepers?
A: I did so in a bid to find the No1 goalkeeper in the country, which we don’t have at the moment. If we don’t give other ’keepers a chance, when are we going to know what we have?
Q: But some would say the goalkeepers are where the spine of the team starts?
A: I would like to agree with that. But we had three games and we needed to test the three goalkeepers – that is why if you look in the middle of the park, the centre of the spine, Furman and Jali, were always there. We didn’t want to rattle that. We made some changes on the wings and the strike force, while the defence was more often than not forced changes. All in all, what we were doing is about building a team.
Q: Before departure, you said Bafana is coming back with the trophy. Do you think you over promised as the head coach?
A: Most unfortunately as a leader you don’t play down your chances going around saying it is going to be tough. I would have killed my players. As a leader you have to be positive all the time even when you see this is a tough mission.
Q: Do you regard exiting the group stage as failure?
A: Actually no. We see this as a phase we must go through in order to achieve our goal. This setback has sharpened us for the future.
After all, people who forget their past will never be able to mould the way forward. – Safa.net