Why Bafana Bafana Will Go Through To The Semifinals

Mmasekepe Matsebane

Before you get bombarded with the idea that Bafana Bafana will not make it to the semifinals by some prophets of doom, allow me to allay all the fears that the negative media might inflict on your mind.

Bafana Bafana to beat Mali.

Gordon Igesund can now go into his garden, relax on his rocking chair and have that cigar, and let the moment sink in because he has accomplished his mission. The football mastermind was given a performance based contract when he took over Bafana and his mandate was to take the country to the semifinals of the Africa Cup of Nations and as things stand, the former Moroka Swallows mentor has kept his promise.

The reason why Bafana Bafana will beat Mali is a simple one. Unlike Morocco and Angola who believe in the European way of playing football, Mali plays their football just for playing football. There is no formidable structure that one can say Mali applies during games, and they don’t have big name players that can scare Bafana.

Bafana star Thulani Serero's pace should give Mali problems.

Sure, they have former Barcelona great Seydou Keita and Paris St Germain workhorse Momo Sissoko, but if you look at the rest of the team, it looks like it’s just about it. Even Sissoko, an exceptional combative midfielder during his days at Juventus and Liverpool looks to have lost his touch as he can’t play over 65 minutes.

In all the games that the 1972 Africa Cup of Nations runners-up have played in, they have never been convincing and they never controlled the game, they can’t make more than five passes, and if they do, it is when Keita takes the ball, and then gets it back. Brings me to another point that the Eagles of Mali have centered their game and almost all their attacks on the China based Keita. 

Bafana Bafana are known to play quick passing football with at least two or three quick strikers, pacey wingers and the central midfield duo of Dean Furman and May Mahlangu who can play sublime passes between spaces. 

Dean Furman's decisive passing will be key against Mali on Saturday.

If Bafana can hold their grown against a Morocco side that plays quick counter attacking football, they sure can deal with a snail paced Mali team. This will in turn be Bafana's secret weapon. Quick players like Thuso Phala, Thulani Serero, Tokelo Rantie and Lehlohonolo Majoro should be used strategically used to open up the slow Mali team and experienced Katlego Mphela and Bernard Parker should repay Igesund's faith with a goal or two each.

There are only two problem areas that might see us not winning the game. Allowing Keita space in the midfield, which I doubt will happen as Furman will bring his A game against the Mali living legend. Another issue is the height of the Mali players. How they effectively use their height might be a problem for Bongani Khumalo’s defense considering that the defense failed to deal with tall Morocco players in corner and cross situations and the goals that Morocco scored are from those situations. 

If Gordon can have a word with both Khumalo and Sangweni on how to beat the Mali strikers in the air, I don’t see reasons why they should spend hours planning as there is nothing special that Mali will bring on Saturday.

Top striker Katlego Mphela will want to put his disappointing Africa Cup of Nations back on track with a goal against Mali.

What the team needs now is the amplified, unwavering support. The Semifinal berth is all but ours, and if things stand the way they are, I don’t see why the class of 96 cannot be emulated. Bafana will certainly get past the quarterfinal stages, but as clichéd as it might sound, the team should take it one game at time. We will cross the semifinal river when we get there.

Bafana Kaofela.

mmmasekepe@yahoo.com