Mosimane frustrated as Bafana draw 2-2 with Kenya in Orlando

Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane has voiced his frustration at his team’s wastefulness in front of goal after a 2-2 draw with Kenya on Friday, according to IOL.

South Africa led twice at the Orlando Amstel Arena but could not hold on. Kenya’s Harambee Stars scored an equaliser in stoppage time, after Bafana had missed several clear-cut chances to put the match beyond them. Relebohile Mofokeng scored Bafana’s second goal.

Mosimane: “Too good and too pretty”

Mosimane was unhappy about his side’s finishing, but pleased with the attacking football that produced the chances. “Bafana too good and too pretty,” he said, adding that the team sometimes forgot about scoring goals.

He made it clear he would not want a side that fails to create chances and simply hopes for the best. He wants a team that creates many opportunities, because then the work can focus on converting them.

In his view, the harder part of building an attacking team is learning how to create the chances in the first place. He described the problem in front of goal as mental rather than technical. “It’s never a technique. It’s mental,” he said, and he called it very sad when players miss one-on-one chances with the goalkeeper.

End of a winning start

The draw ended Mosimane’s winning run at the start of his second spell in charge. Bafana had won their first three matches under him.

Fine margins decided the outcome on Friday. Bafana had enough opportunities to take all three points, but failing to make them count proved costly when Kenya struck late.

What happens next

The focus now shifts to the return fixture in Nairobi, where Bafana will get the chance to respond. The story was tagged as part of the AFCON qualifiers by IOL. For Mosimane, the task is to keep the attacking intent while making his players more clinical when chances come.

For supporters, the result is a reminder that good build-up play counts for little without goals. The return match in Nairobi will show whether the team can improve its finishing.

This story is based on reporting by IOL.