In his latest column for Hollywoodbets Sports, George Maluleka applauds Bafana Bafana's vital away win over Benin with some standout performances, while admitting disappointment at the Teboho Mokoena ineligibility saga.
What a beautiful spectacle of a game it was...
The goals came late in the second half, scored by Lyle Foster and Jayden Adams to secure a vital away win for South Africa. In my view, it was a very tactical game that I thought Bafana were in control of from the first whistle.
Also, something that we’ve been struggling to achieve for years is that it appears like we’re finally keeping a lot more clean sheets, which gives us a chance of winning matches. It aids winning when you also create goal-scoring opportunities, which South Africa did in this match.
Khuliso Mudau is an unsung hero in the team, and I felt his performance was solid where he managed the line very well.
The same with Basadien, where in the modern game, certain formations allow teams to utilise certain positions – such as a marauding left-back – as a weapon to capitalise on potential mismatches and outnumber teams in certain spaces.
Jayden Adams added a lot of depth and stability to the midfield when he was introduced, even managing to score the important second goal from an outstanding set-piece from Oswin Apolis to reward Hugo Broos’s smart tactical substitution.
A very difficult one to single out a player as the boys really put in a good shift convincingly away from home against a very stubborn opponent in Benin.
It’s always hard to dominate when playing away from home at international level, no matter the opponent, let alone a World Cup qualifier.
The boys showed hunger and aggression alongside composure throughout the match to knock a difficult Benin side off the park with their combination plays and then hitting them deep when the defence was left exposed.
Yes, we had a few missed passes from our two centre-backs, Nkosinathi Sibisi and Siyabonga Ngezana, who were trying to find Percy Tau and Foster over the top of a slow Benin backline.
That, though, happens when you take risks, and Sibisi played the crucial pass for Foster’s opener.
The Teboho Mokoena saga is a very tough pill to swallow because of the usual professionalism and high international-level standards we maintain as South Africans.
For this ineligibilty issue to happen at a crucial stage of our qualifying campaign is very disappointing. Honestly speaking, to be docked points you’ve worked tirelessly for will be devastating.
From my personal experience, we have a solid administration team, and I don’t think we’ve ever encountered a serious error like this in a very, very long time.
We’re trying to get our ducks in a row as a football nation and rediscover our spot at the top of African football, and this is the last thing the country needed, especially with the awkward timing after a hard-fought victory over Lesotho.
There will be consequences, I’m guessing, but we need to keep our eyes on the prize of qualification – especially as we would still top Group C with a points deduction.
We need to stay focused and secure qualification clean and convincingly which I personally have faith in them doing.
Bafana impressively managed to get a full allocation of six points from a possible six during the international break, which is prolific. We should stay grounded and continue with conviction as we wait to see what happens with the regards to Teboho Mokena.
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