Bafana Bafana’s COSAFA team coach, Vela Khumalo, expressed mixed emotions following their 1-0 defeat to Mozambique in the opening game of the COSAFA Cup.
While disappointed with the result, Khumalo was pleased with the team’s performance, highlighting their ability to build up play from the back and create scoring opportunities.
“We played well, we played the way we wanted to play,” Khumalo said after the game. “It’s a buildup, and we’re going to sharpen up where we need to score goals.”
Khumalo emphasized the importance of converting chances, acknowledging that Bafana Bafana created numerous opportunities but failed to capitalize on them.
The coach also pointed out that Mozambique’s goal came from a transition, which his team had warned about before the game.
“We were not balanced when they got the goal through transition,” Khumalo explained. “We need to gather on transitions, and that’s something we’ll work on.”
Despite the loss, Khumalo remains optimistic about Bafana Bafana’s chances in the tournament.
“I’m hopeful and positive that with the way of play, the South African style of playing good football, we’re really going to get better and better,” he said. “But to do that, we need to convert our chances.”
With the defeat, Bafana Bafana currently find themselves at the bottom of Group A. However, they have two crucial matches ahead – against Zimbabwe on Saturday and Mauritius on Tuesday.
Khumalo acknowledged the pressure to perform well in these matches, saying, “Losing the first game is not a good thing because we actually wanted to start with a win. But now we’re under pressure, and we need to win the second game and the last game.”
