Afcon 2015: Great Shakes! South Africa’s ‘Senegalean’ task

When he packed for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), Bafana Bafana’s coach Shakes Mashaba went all out. He loaded his bags with enough stuff to last him the entire duration of the four-week jamboree, such was his confidence that South Africa would make the final of the competition. Although he’s now probably somewhat concerned, it’s unlikely Mashaba’s confidence has taken too much of a knock.

The defeat was, after all, the first one of his tenure and it came against the top-ranked team in Africa. Mashaba’s vision for South Africa’s future, his stern approach in insisting that players put their country first and his knowledge of how things work in local football is something that will serve the team well in the future.

However, the problem wasn’t so much that South Africa lost, it was more how they lost. After dominating for over an hour against Algeria, South Africa started to fall flat as soon as they were a goal up. But such errors should only serve to inspire them. While little can be done about some of their technical issues, the dedication that Mashaba has instilled should not be underestimated.

It is still possible that South Africa can make it out of the group, but they will have to beat Senegal in order to keep those hopes alive. The two sides meet on Friday night and one of Bafana’s biggest challenges will be combating physicality of Les Lions de la Teranga. Senegal beat Ghana after going a goal down in their opening fixture and were strongest in dead ball situations. The strength of their backline and the burly forwards will be a big test for the South Africans, but they are already looking at ways to use this as a weakness.

“We know they have a few big boys,” Bafana winger Thuso Phala said this week. “They are more physical than us because they are taller. Set piece wise they will have the advantage. But if you are taller and bigger then you are a lot slower than us.

“Physically we as South Africans have a disadvantage, but we have a way of working around it. We are quicker and have the agility. It showed against Mali, who also have big players, but we played them off the park.”

Aside from having pace to run circles around Senegal, they will also be able to compete in the air. Eric Mathoho is back from suspension and likely to start after missing out against Algeria. Set pieces will be a key part of the battle and Mathoho’s experience will be vital. Mashaba’s ability to motivate his charges will also be a key factor. He’s done a great job of it in the past and if he can manage to get something positive out of the game against Senegal, he would very nearly be a miracle worker.

The two teams have met once before in an African Cup of Nations tie, drawing 1-1 against Ghana seven years ago. More recently, they played each other in 2012, drawing 0-0. Prior to that, South Africa lost two and won one of the games played against Senegal, but statistics mean little in the context of continental competitions.

Most interestingly, both teams have dodgy records for second round group matches in Afcon tournaments. South Africa have won three, lost three and drawn two of the fixtures they've taken part in. Senegal have lost all three of their second round group games on the last three occasions they have played in Afcon.

If South Africa lose against Senegal and Ghana lose against Algeria, both sides will be out of the competition before they have even played their final group fixture. A draw will keep South Africa in contention, but winning is far higher on the priority list.

“We knew coming into this tournament all our games are going to be difficult. We played the top team on the continent, but I think we outplayed them on the day. I believe that if we can play well again and take our chances, we can beat Senegal,” Phala said.

Chances certainly weren’t lacking when South Africa pushed the continent’s top-ranked team for the vast part of the match. But, as has been the case for so many years, South Africa’s inability to finish combined with a number of individual errors led to their demise. The match against Senegal represents another opportunity to prove that they are learning from their mistakes. In a few short months, Mashaba has worked wonders with a team that, at one stage, nobody believed would ever win anything again. With that feat already under his belt, surely a blanket confidence boost will be a walk in the park? We’ll have to wait until Friday evening to find out. DM

Photo: South Africa's coach Shakes Mashaba reacts during the Group C soccer match against Algeria at the 2015 African Cup of Nations in Mongomo January 19, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings