Bafana Bafana: Mosimane laments South Africa’s biggest problem

Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane expressed mixed feelings following his team’s victory over Guinea, praising individual performances but criticising their wastefulness in front of goal.

The match against a formidable Syli National side marked the beginning of the qualification campaign for the Africa Cup of Nations finals, set to take place in East Africa next June.

While the win secured a positive start, Mosimane highlighted the team’s failure to convert their chances as a significant concern, describing it as a persistent national issue.

“Guinea did not come here to play; they are a good team and have that boy from Girona who was bossing the midfield—unbelievable,” Mosimane said as quoted by KickOff.

Bafana’s finishing worries Mosimane

“But we played it well, especially in the first half. The message was there: we pressed high up, we stole a few balls, but you know our South African problem, right?”

He lamented the missed opportunities, adding, “The ‘eish’ and ‘oohs’… we don’t finish the chances. And you know what’s going to happen later when you play these quality teams—they will punish you when they get their chance.”

The decisive goal came from substitute Samukele Kabini, a Norway-based player who was also part of the recent FIFA World Cup squad. The coach emphasised that matches like these are crucial for giving such players game time.

Mosimane also singled out other players for praise. Kamogelo Sebeleble made a strong impact at right-back with his impressive speed, while Scottish-based defender Olwethu Makhanya showed his class in dealing with the threat of Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy. However, the coach’s main point remained the team’s inability to score more goals.

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“We have to give them a chance to play. They were part of the World Cup, and this is a chance for them,” Mosimane explained.

“You can see Sebeleble in one-on-one situations; he came on for Sailor [Khuliso Mudau] and did an unbelievable job against their wingers, especially that number 10.”

“Sebeleble showed he has speed, which is why we played him there. The other guy is full of trickery, so it’s very difficult. But I’m also happy for Makhanya. You can’t just play against a striker from Dortmund; they showed quality, Ike showed quality,” he continued.

“Ronwen is good, we’re good. We just need to score goals. We need to take our chances because when you play against these big nations, they will punish you, and you won’t come back.”