Share

Khune: 3-1 loss a huge setback

Cape Town - Bafana Bafana captain and goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune says Bafana Bafana’s 3-1 loss to Mauritania is "a huge setback".

Bafana Bafana crashed to a heavy defeat to Mauritania in their Group M clash of the AFCON 2017 qualifiers at the Olympic Stadium in Nouakchott.

“I committed a big mistake with the goal I let in and after that it was a huge mountain to climb." said Khune, who gifted the hosts a goal early int the match.

"I had the ball covered but it took a swerve at the last minute and unfortunately I was too close to the poles and it went in.

"It is devastating to concede like that. Also, whenever you play away, it is always difficult to concede early and have to chase the game,” added Khune, who earned his 71st international cap. 

“The result is a huge setback because we have now dropped five points out of a possible six – we picked up only one point at home. 

"We can only have ourselves to blame and again it is only us who can rectify that. We still have 12 points to play for, but it means we have to win all the way and we could find ourselves on 13 points. So it is still up to us, we just have to bounce back from this disappointment.”

The shock loss means Shakes Mashaba's side have a mountain to climb if they want to feature at the AFCON 2017 showpiece in Gabon, reports SAFA website.

“It is definitely not pleasing that we came all the way to Mauritania looking for three points but have to return home with none but we know where we went wrong, and we will have to improve on a lot of aspects of our game if we are to do well in the qualifiers. We had the better ball possession and dictated terms but it is just unfortunate that we have nothing to show for it,” added Khune.

“With the goals they scored in the second half we were outnumbered as we were trying to push forward, playing with a man down. We cannot fault anyone for the loss but must take the blame as players.

"We had a rush of blood after we equalised and went looking for the winner which did not come.

"We made huge mistakes which cost us the game – the first being my error in the first goal, and that’s when we were tested. So we need to get it right in the remaining matches."

Bafana Bafana play Senegal on Tuesday in the Nelson Mandela Challenge friendly at the Orlando Stadium.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1473 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE