Pitso Mosimane defends wasteful Bafana: ‘You can’t complain when you’re creating chances’

Pitso Mosimane has admitted to South Africa's recurring difficulty in converting chances into goals after Bafana Bafana secured a 2-1 victory over Guinea in their opening AFCON 2027 qualifier match. The home team dominated the majority of the game at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday and generated ample opportunities to have shut the door on Guinea well before finally claiming all three points.

Ime Okon put Bafana ahead in the first half, but Guinea equalised through Seydouba Cisse, only for Samukelo Kabini to restore the lead in the 77th minute.

Mosimane, while acknowledging the missed opportunities, was quick to defend his players, emphasizing their determination to create chances. He stated, "We know the South African challenge: we don't score easily, we score two out of six maybe." However, he emphasized that "you can't complain about the boys. They have the right mentality, they want to play, they fight and they press, and we created opportunities.

Sometimes we complain about not scoring, but we should not complain when we are creating chances, because sometimes you don't score simply because you don't create."

Mosimane's comments highlight a recurring issue that the coach will be eager to tackle as Bafana continue their AFCON qualification campaign. South Africa had ample chances to put the result beyond doubt, particularly after controlling the first half and creating several openings. Nevertheless, Guinea remained in contention after Cisse's equaliser, forcing Bafana to rely on Kabini's late intervention to secure the victory.

For Mosimane, the team's ability to consistently create chances offers a strong foundation upon which to build. Bafana started their campaign with three points in Group D, where Kenya's automatic qualification as one of the 2027 tournament hosts leaves South Africa, Guinea, and Eritrea competing for the remaining qualification spot.

Mosimane will now focus on Eritrea, with Bafana set to face them in Egypt on September 30th. While the result provided a solid start to his second spell in charge, enhancing South Africa's efficiency in front of goal could prove as crucial as creating those chances in the forthcoming matches.