Baxter defends tactics after Bafana defeat

Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter was unrepentant over his side’s defensive display, after they went down 1-0 to Morocco on Monday night at the Al Salam Stadium in Morocco on Monday night, leaving their Africa Cup of Nations future hanging by the thinnest of threads.

A goalless draw would have taken Bafana through from Group D as one of the four best third-placed teams, but Moroccan captain M’Bark Boussoufa netted in the final minute, and now South Africa are left waiting on Tuesday’s final group games to see if they have made it to the last 16.

READ: Insipid Bafana suffer late heartbreak against Morocco

South Africa have been poor in the attacking third all tournament, not managing a shot on target against the Ivory Coast, only beating Namibia 1-0, and barely threatening the Atlas Lions goal on Monday.

“I think if you look at the situation before the game, it wasn’t certain we would need the three points, but there are many ways of trying to get three points,” said Baxter on Monday.

“If we had attacked Morocco … I think they would have enjoyed the game a lot more. I think the players played well in terms of their distances, their angles of pressing and in defending crosses, and we had situations that if we had played better in the last third… there are many ways to win a game of football.

“Losing in the last 30 seconds of play, from a set play that was very cheap, it is not the time for me to start questioning the players.”

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