Bafana coach has central midfield headache

Bafana stunned the Super Eagles 2-0 in their opening qualifier in Uyo in March 2017, a brilliant start to Baxter’s second spell in charge of the national team.

It has not gone so well since, however, and Nigeria have moved to the top of Group E, a point clear of Bafana, with two games left to play in qualifying for Cameroon 2019.

“I think our discipline surprised them. I don’t think they were expecting a South African team to defend with such discipline at set-pieces. We also had Tokelo Rantie up front foraging and (Lebo) Manyama and we had our fullbacks going forward … we put the fear of God into them. We need to do that again, to make sure they know if they want to pass the ball around they can do it, but if they lose it they will be in trouble,” said the Bafana coach.

Much has changed in the Bafana squad since that game in Uyo, with Rantie no longer in the Bafana reckoning, and Manyama out injured, but Baxter still has attacking options, with Percy Tau and Lebo Mothiba both in fine form in Europe.

Baxter said Mothiba is champing at the bit to take on the Super Eagles.

“With Lebo, for me it is about trying to calm him down before he goes out on to the field and not ripping the door down and charging out like a raging bull,” he quipped.

The Bafana coach, meanwhile, was nonplussed about the heatwave currently hitting Gauteng. “The heat is the same for everyone,” he said, adding that Bafana were still deciding on whether to water the pitch ahead of the game.

Baxter is well aware of the challenge facing Bafana in the form of a Nigeria side that has revived since that game in Uyo, winning all three of their subsequent qualifiers.

“I am not going to stand here and tell you my plan, but they do have speedy players and they have experienced players,” he said.

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