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Pitso Mosimane finds reasons to believe after Bafana’s tough AFCON test

Refusing to write off Bafana Bafana after their opening 2023 CAF AFCON loss, former SA coach Pitso Mosimane has highlighted redeeming qualities in the national team’s performance.

Second-half goals by Hamari Traoré and Lassine Sinayoko were enough to earn Mali a 2-0 win at the lively Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium.

As things stand, Bafana are placed bottom of the Group E table with nothing to show for it after one game.

However, Mosimane, who is one of the SuperSport TV pundits for the AFCON competition, believes that Broos assembled a squad that has what it takes to perform moving forward.

“It took me two and half years to watch a full game of Bafana. Yes, highlights I always check. But let me be correct: I watched Bafana against Morocco in Morocco. I was really impressed with the first half, to be honest, in Morocco,” said Mosimane. 

PITSO MOSIMANE REFLECTS ON BAFANA BAFANA SQUAD AFTER DEFEAT TO MALI 

Bafana Bafana XI against Mali.
Bafana Bafana XI against Mali

“However, to come back to that, I think our team is good, and we have assembled a good team. We are not the bad team in the tournament, but if you are good, you must win, to be honest. If you don’t win, you can’t justify what I’m saying that we have a good team.

“But, I’m looking at it differently, tactical side, how we are organised, and we were a better team in the first 45 minutes. Everything changed because Mali got a goal early in the second half. We came emotional a little bit because we are human beings.”

Mosimane continued: “Now, we changed and played differently, and the second goal came, and we lost the tactical shape, tactical organisation, Mali sit in, and then we have a player like Zakhele [Lepasa] who is very quick, and when Mali sitting in, that’s not the right player to help us on a break.

“Also, Themba Zwane is not there, but we also want to break the ice. You must have players that can break the low block. Maybe it’s because we submitted him, but I don’t blame him. But all that I’m saying is that we have a good team.”

BAFANA BAFANA’S NEXT ASSIGNMENT

Broos’ boys will lock horns with neighbours Namibia on Sunday, 21 January 2024. The kick-off is at 22:00 [SA time]. 

Tunisia and Mali will battle it out on Saturday, 20 January also at 22:00 [SA Time].

RELATED STORY: Hugo Broos reveals reasons why Bafana lost to Mali

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