NEWS: Lack of confidence and mental strength cost Bafana Bafana at Hollywoodbets COSAFA Cup, says coach Helman Mkhalele

Bafana failed to register a win in their two opening matches and will hope for a change of luck in their last match of the group stages against Eswatini at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Tuesday at 15:00.

Mkhalele’s charges kicked off their campaign with a one-all draw against Mozambique before they played to a goalless draw with Botswana on Saturday.

Ahead of the clash with Eswatini, Mkhalele emphasised the need to work on his players’ mentality and boost their confidence levels.

“I think we will have more of the off-field sessions because if you remember they only came together on Sunday (last week),” Mkhalele said.

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“They started with light training on Sunday and also trained on Monday and Tuesday and on Wednesday they played a tough game and today (Saturday) they played a tough game.

“They are coming from an off-season break, so for us to push them we will be breaking them, we would also be in a position where we will kill their careers,” he said.

“So, what we are going to do, we will have more off-field sessions to work on their mental state.

“And also, when we train, it’s not going to be a hectic training because we still need them for the next game, we need them fresh,” he said.

“We need to work on their confidence because the players feel bad after things like missing a chance. They feel they have let the team down and we won’t qualify (for the next round).

“So, it’s my duty now to uplift or instil that confidence so that when we go out there, we make sure that we try and get maximum points.”

Despite being winless, Bafana are still in the running for the knockout stage and a victory will stand them in good stead.

All the teams in Group A remain winless and tied on two points, leaving the group wide open.

Top finishers in the group proceed to the quarterfinals while there’s a chance for the second-placed team to go through as one of the best runners-up of the three pools.