Bafana Bafana are still licking their wounds from the controversial 1-0 loss they suffered at the hands of Ghana in their final World Cup qualifiers’ match in November last year. Their defeat ended South Africa’s hopes of appearing at the global football spectacle for the first time since 2010, when they were hosts.

The subsequent fallout from the disappointing result led to the Ghana Football Association launching a scathing attack on the South African Football Association (Safa), accusing it of “disrespect” and “spreading falsehoods”. All this because Safa felt that the officiating in that do-or-die clash had been blatantly biased and against them.

Safa asked football’s global custodian Fifa to look into the possibility that the officials could have been coerced by a betting syndicate to influence the overall outcome of the game. Ghana’s FA saw this as South Africa being sore losers.

The saga ended in December 2021, when Fifa dismissed the South African appeal and the result stood.

This meant Ghana progressed to the third and final stage of World Cup qualification, while South Africa – despite a gallant and surprising push for World Cup participation – were left to pick up the pieces.

Picking up the pieces

The team hasn’t played since that setback. Hugo Broos’s men, however, will swing back into action with two friendlies later this month. Bafana Bafana will clash with France and Guinea in two friendly internationals to be played in Europe.

“The challenges [that came] after the qualifiers for the World Cup, we evaluated the team and saw that there were some weaknesses, certainly in the game against Ghana. The team was not ready to play such a game,” Broos said after the announcement of a preliminary squad for the friendlies.

“We saw that Ghana started the game very aggressively and we didn’t have an answer to that, so that was one of the things we saw, and therefore we started to look for other players and see where we could improve the team.”

Bafana play Guinea in Belgium on 25 March and France in Lille four days later. This is to set the ball rolling for the qualifiers of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Ivory Coast, which are scheduled to start in June 2022. With the draw for the showpiece yet to be conducted, Broos and his men are oblivious of their opponents – for now.

But they want to be ready for whoever is thrown their way – especially after the team failed to qualify for the most recent Afcon edition in Cameroon, under the tutelage of Molefi Ntseki. Broos said he would use the two games to further expand the players he will rely on in future.

“These two games [against France and Guinea] are not really about the results, but more about preparation for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in June. So, there will be new players. We will see if they are playing well in their clubs and then see if they perform for Bafana, which is a level higher.

“Let’s hope they improve the team. We are using these games to be ready for June and know that we have a stronger team than the team that played in the [World Cup] qualifiers,” the 69-year-old Belgian mentor said.

Goodman Mosele of Orlando Pirates during the DStv Premiership match between Orlando Pirates and Swallows FC at Chatsworth Stadium on 11 September 2021 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo: Gavin Barker / BackpagePix / Gallo Images)

New faces

Broos said he intended to experiment for the two friendly fixtures and would not place a heavy emphasis on the results, focusing rather on individual performances as he sets his eyes on the bigger picture.

The likes of Lyle Lakay and Rivaldo Coetzee have been roped in to give the coach more options as he continues to build his perfect team.

Both players have had sterling individual seasons for Mamelodi Sundowns so far, but have been overlooked by Broos since he took over the Bafana reins in May last year.

This season, Lakay has been head and shoulders above other right backs in the country, forming part of a Sundowns side that went 10 games without conceding a goal from the beginning of the 2021/2022 season.

Moreover, Lakay’s lethal left foot has found the back of the net three times in all competitions this campaign, while also providing seven assists – in 30 games.

Bandile Shandu of Orlando Pirates during the DStv Premiership match between Orlando Pirates and Swallows FC at Chatsworth Stadium on 11 September 2021 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo: Gavin Barker / BackpagePix / Gallo Images)

Thabang Monare of Orlando Pirates during the DStv Premiership match between Golden Arrows and Orlando Pirates at Princess Magogo Stadium on 20 November 2021 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo: Ryan Wilkisky / BackpagePix / Gallo Images)

Other notable inclusions are Goodman Mosele, Bandile Shandu and Thabang Monare of Orlando Pirates.

Mosele famously found himself in Broos’s bad books last year when he absconded after being chosen to represent South Africa in two World Cup qualifying ties against Ethiopia in October 2021.

It later emerged that the 22-year-old Buccaneers star had suffered an anxiety attack before his maiden national call-up. It seems that he and Broos have moved past that incident and the player may yet find himself on the final list of players who will jet off to Europe in a couple of weeks.  

“These games are an opportunity for us to try some things,” Broos said. “You cannot try things when you are playing qualifiers; you have to be sure when you put your team on the pitch. You have to be sure that those are the right players in the right positions.

“Now we can try [new things] and we can see what those players are giving to the team. I’m thinking about Mosele, I’m thinking about Shandu, I’m thinking about Lakay,” shared Broos.

“Those players can be an improvement for us. The result for me is not so important, not at all. But I want to see if the things we try in those games can be an improvement for the team or not.”

The trimmed team for the friendlies will be announced in the coming days. They will then assemble a day before departure, and travel to Paris on Monday, 21 March. DM168

BAFANA BAFANA 29-MAN PRELIMINARY SQUAD

Goalkeepers

Ronwen Williams (SuperSport United), Brandon Peterson, Bruce Bvuma (both Kaizer Chiefs), Veli Mothwa (AmaZulu).

Defenders

Nyiko Mobbie (Sekhukhune United), Siyanda Xulu (Free Agent), Terrence Mashego (Cape Town City), Nkosinathi Sibisi (Golden Arrows), Sbonelo Cele (Golden Arrows), Veluyeke Zulu (Chippa United), Rushine De Reuck, Lyle Lakay, Khuliso Mudau, Rivaldo Coetzee (all Mamelodi Sundowns), Bandile Shandu (Orlando Pirates), Athenkosi Mcaba (Stellenbosch).

Midfielders

Pule Mmodi (Golden Arrows), Ethan Brooks (TS Galaxy), Keagan Dolly (Kaizer Chiefs), Teboho Mokoena (Mamelodi Sundowns), Goodman Mosele (Orlando Pirates), Thabang Monare (Orlando Pirates), Mduduzi Mdantsane (Cape Town City).

Forwards

Percy Tau (Al Ahly, Egypt), Fagrie Lakay (Pyramids, Egypt), Evidence Makgopa (Baroka), Victor Letsoalo (Royal AM), Lyle Forster (Westerlo, Belgium), Bongokuhle Hlongwane (Minnesota United, USA).

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper which is available for R25 at Pick n Pay, Exclusive Books and airport bookstores. For your nearest stockist, please click here.