OPINION – Broos and Bafana have credit in the bank

We can ridicule Bafana Bafana, if we like, for failing to take apart Andorra on Thursday evening.

After all, this tiny European nation, population f**k all, have been cannon fodder across Uefa qualifying for about 20 years now.

South Africa head coach Hugo Broos said before and after their 1-1 draw that Andorra don’t lose their matches by much these days, even though they usually lose. But 3-0 defeats to Kosovo and Switzerland and a 4-0 pummeling by Romania, all coming since September of last year, would beg to differ.

Broos would have been better off leaning more on other extenuating circumstances than Andorra’s quality. He picked a very experimental side for this game, with four debutants, and on the back of a 30 hour journey across the continent from South Africa to Annaba in Algeria.

As Broos did also point out, Bafana would have won the game easily, too, with better finishing, and without a calamitous piece of goalkeeping early in the game from Ricardo Goss.

The main point, however, is that this is a Bafana team just coming off finishing third at the Africa Cup of Nations. The embarrassment of drawing with Andorra in a friendly is easily tempered by the memories of their achievements in the Ivory Coast, where they exceeded expectations where it really mattered.

Irrelevant friendlies

Friendlies are, in the grander scheme, largely irrelevant, no matter the opposition. We have seen Bafana beat Spain, Sweden, Nigeria and Ghana in friendlies in the past, but do nothing when it matters.

If Broos and Bafana get good results in World Cup qualifying in June, no one should be bothered if they drew with Andorra. Broos and Bafana’s recent track record deserves our trust.