Inacio Miguel Criticizes Bafana Bafana Substitutions After AFCON Exit

Kaizer Chiefs defender Inacio Miguel has weighed in on Bafana Bafana’s 2-1 loss to Cameroon in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations round of 16, arguing that Orlando Pirates duo Evidence Makgopa and Tshepang Moremi should have received more game time.

South Africa’s defeat on Sunday in Morocco ended their campaign, preventing them from improving on their Bronze medal finish in 2023. Junior Tchamadeu and Christian Kofane scored for Cameroon in either half, while Makgopa netted a late goal for Bafana after being introduced in the 63rd minute.

Miguel, speaking on SuperSportTV, criticized the timing of the substitutions. He argued that Makgopa and Moremi could have influenced the match more effectively if they had been brought on earlier.

“I think South Africa has to take it as a lesson,” Miguel said. “As you could see, with Makgopa coming in, it was time to change the game. Sometimes you need to give the players that time to change the game. The same thing with [Tshepang] Moremi.”

Miguel highlighted tactical issues in Bafana’s approach after going 2-0 down. He noted the team’s slow ball movement and overreliance on lateral passes, which allowed Cameroon to remain comfortable. He suggested that Bafana needed to exploit spaces in behind the Cameroonian defense to create real danger.

“When you are on a 2-0 result, what you are looking for is to create danger for the other team. If you look at the game, in the second half, Cameroon was comfortable, and South Africa was a little bit slow on the ball. A lot of lateral passes, when what they really needed was playing on the deep, playing on the spaces that Cameroon was afraid to concede in and to open those spaces,” Miguel explained.

Bafana Bafana’s early exit raises questions about squad rotation and in-game management, with Miguel’s comments emphasizing the need for timely substitutions and more attacking urgency. His assessment reflects broader calls for tactical adjustments in future tournaments to ensure the team can convert opportunities into results.