AFCON comment: Eish, Bafana

We may have got ahead of ourselves in the lead-up to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations with regards to the chances of Bafana Bafana at the continental tournament.

Drawn in the much-hyped “Group of Death” with Africa’s number one ranked team Algeria, former champs Ghana and 2002 FIFA World Cup quarter-finalists Senegal, football observers knew that coach Shakes Mashaba and the boys were always going to be in for a tough time in Equatorial Guinea.

Despite the great unbeaten run of form that the team enjoyed in the qualifiers and various pre-tournament friendly matches this is where it counted and this is where we sadly failed in the first match.

It cannot be said that we did not have our chances against the Desert Foxes though.

Skipper Dean Furman’s driving first-half strike that was touched onto the crossbar by the Algerian goalkeeper could have taken the boys into the halftime break with a morale boosting 1-0 lead, but, as is often the case in football, it was a case of “should’ve, could’ve been.”

Bafana had done a great deal to soak up the pressure of the Algerians in the first stanza and they sparked into life when the referee resumed play after the break.

When Thuso Phala found the back of the net five minutes into the second half through what can be described as a “Barcelona-esque” build-up from Bafana, we were in control.

Moments later Tokelo Rantie was brought down in the penalty box for a spot kick that, if converted, would have given the Algerians the mammoth task of chasing down a two-goal lead.

I was watching the encounter with a few teammates after a game for my Monday night social six-a-side football team and when our goalkeeper saw Rantie step up to take the penalty he immediately said: “He’ll miss.”

“I can see it in his eyes.”

He did miss and the rest is history.

The miss sparked Africa’s number one team into life and Bafana bore the brunt of the brunt of their missed chances.

First defender Thulani Hlatshwayo diverted a cross meant for Islam Slimani into his own net to bring the Desert Foxes level, before left back Faouzi Ghoulam completed the comeback with a powerful strike.

Slimani rounded off the win five minutes from time when his shot from the edge of the box slipped through the dive of goalkeeper Darren Keet.

The keeper should definitely have done better to take charge of his front post with the second Algerian strike while with the third goal the Bafana defenders, in my opinion, left the keeper in no man’s land by allowing a shot from just outside the 18 area without putting in a single challenge.

Keet should have definitely not allowed the ball to get through him, but, as George Graham once said: “The goalkeeper is the jewel in the crown and getting at him should be almost impossible.

“It’s the biggest sin in football to make him do any work.”

So, where to now for South Africa?

Two wins against Senegal and Ghana respectively could get Bafana to the next round, but even that is not a guarantee.

Senegal is up next for Bafana Bafana, and with a huge win against Ghana, courtesy of a last-minute goal, the opponents will be on a massive high.

Shakes will need to do everything in his power to regroup the team ahead of this one.

That game kicks-off at 9pm tomorrow.

Here is a video of the goals in the loss to Algeria: