BAFANA Bafana have qualified for the last 16 at the Africa Cup of Nations on Thursday, by playing to a goalless draw against Tunisia.
It was not an enterprising match from both ends, but for SA it was a huge success considering the 2-0 loss in their opening match, with naysers already writing them off.
Yes, a sigh of relief for millions South Africans.
As for Tunisia, they’re no longer sharp and deadly as in the past, instead they looked more timid and rusty. Mighty has really fallen!
And Bafana took advantage of that sloppy performance.
The Hugo Broos charges are now in the last 16 of the tourney and will face, wait for it, the marauding Morocco.
Now this is the test Bafana has to pass to make it to the finals, so I said.
Moroccans are highly charged bunch of players, and if anything is to go by, they stand a chance to win this cup, provided complacency does not penetrate their heads.
Deeply moved coach Broos was happy with the success of the team thus far and remarked “I saw a family, I saw a team”.
“I don’t have to tell you that there is a very happy coach sitting behind this microphone,” he said.
“And not only because we qualified for the next round. But about the performance. You know a coach can be satisfied when he sees his boys working, fighting on the pitch and doing what you asked.
“And, as a coach, I am happy to see a bunch of guys on the bench, who are supporting those on the field. I saw a family, I saw a team, who just wanted one thing, to go forward.”
For large parts of the contest, Tunisia did not seem a threat on the Bafana goal and Broos revealed how his side achieved that feat.
“We did a good analysis of Tunisia, so we played a little bit low, we tried to play very compact because we took also into account that we had one day less recovery than our opponent.
“So, we had to look a little bit to, when and how we did efforts and that’s why we chose that tactic and I think it was the right one. We were good in block, Tunisia was nearly not dangerous throughout the game, we had some little chances, little chances but okay, I think after all 90 minutes that South Africa deserves to be in the next round.”
It is juju time- why not.
Image (Confident. Bafana captain Bronwen Williams going for high sky ball, frustrating Tunisia last night that took them to the last 16 of the tourney).
