Bafana’s striker-woes continue

Perhaps the South African Football Association should appoint a sub-committee to investigate a twin-concern after BafanaBafana shared the Nelson Mandela Challenge plate by drawing 1-1 against Ivory Coast in Port Elizabeth on Saturday: Firstly we need to know why the crowd is so fond of booing the striker Katlego Mphela; and, secondly, establish ways of solving the striker-woes of Bafana Bafana.

Mphela was jeered during the draw against a world-class Ivory Coast team, but he produced the second-half goal that secured the draw after taking a free kick with aplomb and putting it in the back of the net with a superb strike.

After the goal, Mphela lost his cool and snarled at the fans who were jeering him. Coach Pitso Mosimane and his assistant Jairo Leal according to reports reprimanded him.

It was not the first time that Killer Mphela has been subjected to this type of treatment. In March, he endured a torrid time at the hands of Bafana Bafana supporters, who demanded that  Mosimane replace him in the match against Egypt.

“I was disappointed with the treatment I got from the fans and I don’t know why they targeted me.

“If a player isn’t on top of his game, our supporters should be encouraging us instead of putting us under more pressure by booing us,” Mphela said at the time.

“The fans should get behind us because we represent our country, and we want the team to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations.

“It was a sweet victory for us against the African champions, and this result  should be celebrated by all South Africans,” he said.

The former SuperSport United striker also pointed out that a player doesn’t go onto the pitch to deliberately play badly.

“When I step onto the pitch, I always want to do my best, but it is not always possible.”

Mosimane’s decision not to bow to fan pressure was vindicated when Mphela scored a sublime last-gasp goal.

On Saturday, he also silenced the critical fans with a goal. He is the country’s third highest goal-scorer, after Benni McCarthy and Shaun Bartlett.

McCarthy, with 31 goals, is the premier goal-scorer, followed by Bartlett, with 28 goals in 74 matches.

Perhaps Mphela is too much of a prickly character, too defensive and too aggressive in counter-attacking the fans when he is subjected to booing and jeering.

If he handles his goals with humility, and his detractors graciously, the jeering might die down sooner than is expected.

No amount of complaining and resentment will endear him to the crowd when he points a fist at them after scoring.

"I was pleading with them and pleading with South Africa to give Mphela a break," Mosimane told www.supersport.com.

"At the end of the day, who scores?"

Mosimane was seen remonstrating with the fans behind the bench after Mphela, nicknamed "Killer," netted with a trademark free kick against the Ivorian Elephants

"I had to call him [Mphela] to the sidelines and say to him, the only way to reply  to them is to score another goal," Mosimane said.

"We will be criticised as Bafana, it is part of the game.

"People have the right to criticise, so I take it positively, and hope he took it positively too,” he said.

Mosimane said he was confident of the team's chances as they prepared to host the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, as well as playing qualifiers for the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil.

He admitted, however, that Bafana were in need of another prolific forward.

"There is hope because we have a good team, and if there is another striker that can help us score goals when Mphela is not scoring, then give me that name and I'll put that name on the team sheet," Mosimane said.

"We are struggling with that and could have taken it [the victory] in the last 15 minutes.

"But it's the old story with Bafana that you all know – we build up well but don't take proper decisions in the last third of the field.

"We've shown that we can play the top teams in Africa.

"It's the only way we can prepare for the 2013 Afcon and the World Cup qualifiers in six months time."

The lack of composure in front of goal has aggravated Mosimane, who has been wary of the fact that Bafana Bafana might emulate the same style under him that they displayed in the Carlos Alberto Parreira-era.

He once told the Sunday Times that in the Parreira-era, Bafana Bafana played beautifully, but sideways all the time.

The Sunday Times also quoted Carlos Amato who once said that watching a team that plays like Bafana is like watching soft porn – plenty of foreplay but no penetration.

There were plenty of opportunities on Saturday against the early favourites to win the African Cup of Nations, but nothing could beat the goalkeeper.

But there were some encouraging signs by the national team, who attacked with plenty of vigour. Steven Pienaar, Kagisho Dikgacoi, Reneilwe Letsholonyane and Tsepo Masilele gave the team structure and class and provided much-needed experience.

Sharpening up the skills and the execution in front of goal will be Bafana’s greatest challenge if they want to qualify for the 2014 World Cup, and start off the qualifying campaign in style.