OPINION: Bafana Bafana have the ingredients for a Golden Generation but…
· The South African
Bafana Bafana could very well be heading into a golden generation, should the South African Football Association (SAFA) not mess this up.
We qualified for our first FIFA World Cup in 16 years and managed to create history by emerging out of the group stages, which was a first for Bafana.
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Departed Belgian coach Hugo Broos laid the foundation, and now it is up to Pitso “Jingles” Mosimane to build on that and revolutionise South African football.
So far, he hasn’t dismantled Broos’ squad or system, but he has already envisioned his own ideas. Given his success with Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly, Jingles should maintain Bafana’s success and ease his way into the 2027 AFCON qualification.
His first game in charge was against Guinea, and he just managed to scrape past them 2-1. A win should be welcomed as a start, but his identity and culture should be visible in the coming games.
Why this Bafana generation should be golden
Bafana’s performance at the FIFA World Cup wasn’t spectacular, but it has given South African football plenty of attention especially in Europe and America.
The likes of Thapelo Maseko, Relebohile Mofokeng, Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Ime Okon have all attracted interest from various teams in Europe.
The good thing is that all of these players are under 22, meaning the future is bright. All four play outside South Africa, and it is inevitable that they will force moves to bigger clubs in the near future.
In defence, we have Mbokazi, Olwethu Makhanya, Khulumane Ndamane, Lebone Seema and Okon, who are all under 23. Aden McCarthy, who currently plays in the UEFA Champions League, can’t even make it into the squad.
The only concern I have is the midfield position, especially defensively. Sphephelo Sithole is solid for Bafana but has his mistakes and can only be relied on as a backup.
At 26, he still has many years left in him, but an aggressive, no-nonsense destroyer is what Bafana need, and so far, the PSL lacks that type of player.
One felt Mbokazi might occupy that role, and given the talent we have in defence, maybe that’s worth experimenting with.
Bafana need quality in midfield
Teboho Mokoena is our best central midfielder, but Bafana showed they can play without him against South Korea. Thalente Mbatha is a suitable replacement, but he has his shortcomings as well and hasn’t played particularly well alongside Tebza in midfield, as the two are very similar.
In attacking areas, Mosimane will use Rele Mofokeng as an attacking midfielder, but due to his size, he will only be effective as a number 10 and not as a ball-winning midfielder who gets into those physical battles.
Young Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Steven Mendes could occupy that position in the future. He will need to be given a chance in the national team, as well as the Amakhosi senior team.
In terms of wingers and forwards, we are blessed in that regard. Maseko, Mofokeng, Oswin Appollis, Mohau Nkota, Puso Dithejane and Shandre Campbell are some of the wingers we can use, and none of them are above 25.
Although our strikers struggle for goals, having those speedy and lethal wingers allows us to play the likes of Cassius Mailula as a lone striker or also bring in Iqraam Rayners or Evidence Makgopa as a target man.
Once we find a quality striker or two, Bafana will be a force to be reckoned with.
If Pitso Mosimane can revolutionise this squad and blend in new players from the youth ranks, we can be a force to reckon with. As long as we have a solid defence, explosive forwards and a tight midfield, we can conquer Africa.
It could be the start of a golden generation where 70 to 80 percent of our players will be based in Europe, featuring in Europe’s elite competitions.
Bafana have the baseline, but will Pitso build an empire?