Despite Bafana's team missing several scoring opportunities in the match against Guinea, head coach Pitsso Mosimane refused to criticize his players, instead highly praising their commitment to pressing and attacking intentions.
Mosimane acknowledged Bafana's long-standing problem with finishing attacks after South Africa missed several chances in the 2-1 victory over Guinea in the first qualifying match for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. The team dominated significant portions of the game at the Orlando Amstel Arena stadium on Saturday and created enough opportunities to secure the win even before they ultimately took all three points.
Ime Okon opened the scoring in the first half, but Guinea equalized through Seydouba Sisse. Substitute Samukelo Kabini restored Bafana's lead in the 77th minute. Despite the missed chances, Mosimane was reluctant to criticize his footballers, emphasizing their readiness to create attacks.
He noted: 'We know the South African challenge: we don't score easily, maybe two out of six.' He continued, highlighting the team's positive aspects: 'But you can't complain about the guys. They have the right attitude, they want to play, they fight and press, and we created chances. Sometimes we complain about the lack of goals, but we shouldn't complain when we create chances, because sometimes you don't score just because you don't create them.'
These remarks point to an ongoing issue that Mosimane intends to address during the Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign. South Africa could have made the result undeniable much earlier, especially after controlling the first half and creating numerous chances. Instead, Guinea remained in the game after Sisse's equalizer, forcing Bafana to rely on Kabini's late goal for the victory.
Nevertheless, for Mosimane, the ability to consistently create chances serves as a solid foundation for further development. Bafana started the campaign with three points in the difficult Group D, where Kenya's automatic qualification as one of the host countries for the 2027 tournament leaves South Africa, Guinea, and Eritrea fighting for the remaining group spot.
Now Mosimane will focus on Eritrea, as Bafana will face them in Egypt on September 30th. Although this result provided an ideal start to his second term as coach, improving South Africa's efficiency in front of goal could prove as important as creating these chances in upcoming matches.
