Mngqithi Breaks Down Bafana Bafana AFCON Exit After Cameroon Defeat

Lamontville Golden Arrows coach Manqoba Mngqithi has shared his assessment of what went wrong for Bafana Bafana following their early exit from the Africa Cup of Nations. Hugo Broos’ side were knocked out in the Round of 16 after a 2 to 1 defeat to Cameroon on Sunday evening in Rabat.

The South African squad returned home on Wednesday morning, landing at OR Tambo International Airport two days after their elimination from the tournament currently taking place in Morocco. The exit has been widely viewed as a disappointment, especially after Bafana Bafana returned with a bronze medal in 2024 and were tipped as strong contenders for the title.

Despite the result, statistics painted a picture of a team that largely controlled the match. Bafana Bafana dominated possession with 66 percent of the ball and created four clear scoring chances, one more than the Indomitable Lions. However, missed opportunities proved costly. Lyle Foster, Relebohile Mofokeng and Samukele Kabini all failed to convert chances that could have changed the outcome.

Speaking on SABC Sport while reviewing the match, Mngqithi said the defeat should be treated as a learning moment rather than a source of despair.

He explained that the team created good moments that could have led to a different result. He echoed the view that Bafana Bafana did not simply lose but gained important lessons from the experience. One of the key lessons, according to Mngqithi, relates to game management in knockout football, especially when chasing the game.

Mngqithi pointed out that Bafana went into halftime already trailing and needed to use that break to sharpen their attacking approach. He felt the team should have focused more on improving their offensive play, particularly down the left channel where chances had already been created. In his view, the issue was not the lack of opportunities but the lack of composure and conviction in the final third.

The experienced coach also suggested that earlier tactical changes could have made a difference. He believed substitutions at halftime may have helped, including the possible introduction of Aubrey Modiba. Mngqithi went further to say he would have considered removing one of the central defenders who were already on a yellow card early in the match. His idea was to adjust the defensive structure, move Khuliso Mudau into a lateral centre back role and introduce a more attack minded player such as Moremi or Nkota to increase pressure on Cameroon.

Looking ahead, Bafana Bafana will have an opportunity to regroup and address these issues. South Africa are expected to play at least two international friendly matches as part of their preparation for the FIFA World Cup scheduled to begin in June.

Broos’ side have been drawn in Group A alongside hosts Mexico, South Korea and a European team that is yet to be confirmed. The focus now shifts to applying the lessons learned from AFCON as Bafana Bafana aim to improve their cutting edge and tactical flexibility ahead of the global showpiece.