News24.com | Bafana coach Ntseki on qualification chances: I believe we can qualify
Molefi Ntseki (Gallo Images)
- Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki is confident that qualification is still within their grasp.
- They are currently second in their group where they trail leaders Ghana by goal difference
- Ntseki understands that as a coach, he is always under pressure.
Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki believes his team will still qualify for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations, even though he remains under pressure to produce positive results.
With Bafana Bafana hosting Ghana in their Afcon Group C qualifier at the FNB Stadium on 25 March, defeat in that particular match could have a serious impact on SA’s qualification chances.
SA’s performances, especially in the Sao Tome and Principe matches, left a lot to be desired even though they won.
What remained important for SA is that they collected a maximum six points from those games, along with the three points accrued from the 1-0 win against Sudan on November 17, 2019.
Three days earlier, they were easily dispatched by Ghana in Cape Coast, a start that set them back at the time.
Ntseki said the pressure always remained for him to produce positive performances.
“Anybody who works at any company where there are mandates, will be under pressure. I’m no different. When you lead the national team, the mandate is simple and not just from the chief executive officer, the national executive committee, the president, this table or this house. It’s for me to do well as an individual. It’s for me to do well and to carry my abilities and confidence to the next level,” Ntseki said.
“Representing your country is an honour and I can’t run away from my responsibilities. My responsibility is to lead the team, get the best out of the players and to qualify and we will because I believe.”
Ntseki, who announced a 26-man squad on Thursday that included a number of his key players and the goal scorers from the Sao Tome matches in Themba Zwane and Percy Tau, said they’re well equipped to deal with a dangerous Ghana side.
“We’re playing a Ghana side that lost their last game against Sudan. They’ll come here to get a result and they’re a possession type of team and for them to get into your half, they need to do so with numbers. When they do send up numbers, they’ll create spaces where we could hurt them when we regain possession,” Ntseki said.
“When you look at our attacking players, we’ve added a lot of speed because in defence, they tend to stay deep because of them being aware of not having the speed to recover. We are playing to get a result.”
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