Menzi Magubane
Bafana Bafana assistant coach Helman Mkhalele has praised the attitude and the display shown by his youthful side after they beat Uganda 3-2 on Thursday in an international friendly.
It was Bafana’s first match under the new leadership of head coach Hugo Broos and his right hand men, Cedomir Janevski and Mkhalele.
The former Bafana winger was impressed by the team’s comeback after trailing at half time.
“South Africa has the talent, we have seen that, but the type of attitude that these boys displayed was key and we’ll make sure that we try to work on the mental part. Make them believe in themselves and to fight for the jersey,” he said after the game.
During his heyday in Bafana, midfielder Mkhalele would give his all to ensure that the team got the required results. He was part of the Bafana side that lifted the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations trophy after beating Tunisia 2-0 in the final at FNB Stadium.
“To wear that Bafana Bafana shirt, which is the emblem of the country, it means you are filled with that kind of passion where you would need to want to go out there and die on the pitch.”
Mkhalele admitted that on Thursday, Bafana were second best to the Cranes – especially in the first half.
“We had a technical plan that we made sure to follow but during the first-half we really struggled. I would attribute that to the lack of experience shown by our boys and nerves. And more importantly, we had almost no time to ensure that we built combinations before the game.
“We had just two training sessions and almost all eleven players had never played together before,” he added.
Bafana will get their Group G 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign away to Zimbabwe at the beginning of September.
Meanwhile, later on Thursday night SA Under-23 team lost 2-0 to the Egypt U/23 team in a friendly match. The game was part of coach David Notoane’s preparations for the upcoming Tokyo Olympic games.
Picture source:@bafanabafana
