Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane admitted there was plenty of room for improvement despite his side outclassing Niger 2-0 in their opening 2012 African Nations Cup Group G qualifier played at a packed Mbombela Stadium on Saturday night.
Mosimane said after the match his players could expect the campaign to hot up in more ways than one when they travel to Freetown for a showdown against Sierra Leone next month.
Mosimane was happy with the win but conceded he was concerned by the number of easy chances his players missed in the second half.
‘The result was not a true reflection of the game. We should have scored a lot more goals. I was frustrated by the chances we missed.”
Mosimane said his strikers showed anxiety and lacked experience. ‘We played well and created those chances so I am not complaining but, we also lacked maturity in front of goal.
‘We achieved our aim of collecting three points from the opening match. I am satisfied with the commitment and the way we passed the ball around and created countless chances. It was entertaining stuff and a good experience.
On Sierra Leone, he commented: ‘We can expect totally different conditions. I was there with Bafana last year [as assistant coach] and know we will not get the type of conditions we enjoy at home. It will be extremely hot and humid and it will be a lot tougher than this [Niger]. But I am confident we can go to Freetown and get a result.”
The new Bafana head coach now has two wins from two matches in charge without conceding a goal after Bafana edged out World Cup quarterfinalists Ghana 1-0 in a warm-up match played at the FNB Stadium last month but Bafana lost 1-0 in Freetown in the 2010 Afcon qualifying campaign.
‘We won’t get the same amount of chances we created against Niger. But we will be ready.”
While describing Bafana as ‘brilliant” in the second half against Niger, who looked like a side ranked 145th in the world, he was confused as to why they missed numerous easy chances in that period.
‘Sure we have to improve. But it was a good start and overall and it went according to plan. What amazed me was that we scored a really difficult goal when Bernard Parker scored [with a wonder
volley] to make it 2-0 and yet we missed open goals. We practised finishing during the week.
“I admit I was frustrated. But at the end of the night we have three points and that is what is important.”
However, Mosimane said he hoped the glaring misses from Siphiwe Tshabalala, Katlego Mphela, Parker and substitute Kermit Erasmus to name a few culprits would not come back to bite Bafana.
‘I hope we can win the group cleanly and not have to reply on goal difference. But that is still a way down the road.”
Only the group winner is guaranteed a place in the finals to be staged in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea and with African champions Egypt also in the group, it could be a tight finish. Egypt play Sierra Leone in Cairo on Sunday night.
Mphela scored his 18th Bafana goal in 37 appearances for his country to put Bafana 1-0 ahead in the 17th minute and then Parker scored a scorcher in first-half injury time to make it 2-0.
Despite having Niger on the rack, Bafana missed chance after chance and should have won by a cricket score but instead they were foiled by some superb goalkeeping from Daouda Kassali and poor finishing.
But Mosimane said he has a platform to build on.
What was impressive was the way Bafana kept possession and controlled the midfield where Russian-based Macbeth Sibaya and Everton playmaker Steven Pienaar were outstanding.
At the back Bafana gave little away and when they had to deal with Niger’s bulky striker Amazon Moussa they were able to contain him.
‘Moussa is a dangerous striker but we coped well,’ said the coach. – Sapa