Former Bafana Bafana player, Siphiwe “Shabba” Tshabalala, believes that the second Group A game against Czechia is Hugo Broos’ chance to restore hope to the people of South Africa.
Bafana disappointed millions of South African football fans by losing 2-0 to Mexico in the opening game last Sunday. This led people to criticize Broos because of the way he tied the scheme that started the game.
Tshabalala said he understands that it reduces the excitement of starting the World Cup after years of planning, and stressed the importance of looking forward. He said he does not see that the time has come to throw in the towel on the chances of this national team. Bafana will face Czechia on Thursday at 6 pm, at the Atlanta Stadium, in the United States of America (USA).
“The disappointment of the fans is something that was expected if you compare it with the excitement that accompanied the fact that the team will play the World Cup.
“To quickly pass the first game and show that we have learned from our mistakes, I think it will help us.
“It is obvious that there is a need to change, so the lessons from the first game are not limited to the players but also to the coaches of the team.
“A win in Czechia will put us in a good place because it also started with a stick. Ours is to return to our culture, play in the same way that we did in the World Cup,” said Tshabalala on Sporty TV.
Bafana’s entry into the World Cup with its sweat for the first time since 2002 and finishing first in its group that had Nigeria in the qualifiers, has increased the hope of what this team will do in this tournament that is watched by the whole world.
However, what is always clear about the Mexico game is that Broos started with a scheme to guard the opponents, which is what prevented Bafana from playing in the usual way.
Czechia believes in corners and free kicks because they lack speed. This indicates that it would be a good idea for Broos to start with players with swing including Relebohile Mofokeng and speedy Oswin Appollis and Tsepang Moremi on the sides.