Share

Scoring goals was Africa's biggest problem at SWC - Yeye

Cape Town - Former Bafana Bafana midfielder Reneilwe 'Yeye' Letsholonyane believes the failure to score goals is a major problem for African nations.

READ: Africa 'real' World Cup winners

Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal, Morocco and Tunisia travelled to Russia with hopes of going beyond the group stages of this year's Soccer World Cup.

However, it was not to be as all five countries were knocked out ahead of the Round of 16 despite a strong showings in their performances on match-days.

"I watched almost every game during the World Cup," Letsholonyane said in an exclusive interview with Sport24.

"When it comes to our African counterparts, most of the games they dominated.

"They (African teams) dominated possession, but most of the teams that ended up winning the games are the ones that scored when they had opportunities.

"We (African teams) didn’t convert our chances. The teams were too cautious."

He continued: "It showed that as much as you can keep the ball, the problem that we have as a country... (in South Africa) it showed in the World Cup.

"When it comes to our African countries, it’s not just South Africa, it is a continental problem that we fail to score or take our chances in front of goal."

The 36-year-old, who has partnered with Cartoon Network and become the new Ben 10 ambassador, is hopeful that sooner or later an African country will win the World Cup.

The 2026 tournament will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and United States, and it will be the first World Cup where 48 nations will compete for the 18-carat gold trophy.

FIFA has guaranteed nine African nations will represent the Confederation of African Football (CAF) compared to five countries in previous competitions.

READ: Trevor Noah responds to French ambassador after Africa won SWC comment - WATCH!

"With the few additions of African participants that will be added, it will increase our chances of reaching other stages of the World Cup," said Letsholonyane.

"More teams in the World Cup, will see African countries go beyond the group stages."

Follow Tashreeq Vardien on Twitter.

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 ()
loading... Live
Manchester United 1
Sheffield United 1
loading... Live
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0
AFC Bournemouth 1
loading... Live
Everton 1
Liverpool 0
loading... Live
Crystal Palace 0
Newcastle United 0
loading... Live
Lions 134/2
Titans RSA 131/9
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
58% - 7 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
42% - 5 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