TOMORROW is D-Day for beleaguered Bafana Bafana head coach Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba.
Mashaba and the technical committee will deliver the team report to the SA Football Association’s (Safa’s) executive committee, explaining Bafana’s failure to qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals in Gabon.
Mashaba has come in for a lot of criticism for his failed Afcon campaign in which Bafana drew all three of their home matches, scoring only one goal in their dismal 1-1 draw with lowly Mauritania at Mbombela Stadium last Friday.
The fact Bafana could not beat a side ranked 104th in the world who were playing with 10 men for the last 20 minutes will not count in Mashaba’s favour.
Safa president Danny Jordaan said he was upset with the Mauritania performance, while Mashaba was telling everyone who cared to listen that his players had performed well but could not score.
That sad old song “we can’t score” is worn out and something has to give.
Speculation is rife that Mashaba will be on his way out and Bafana will start their 2018 World Cup journey under a new mentor. Rumours are that a decision has already been reached, as Safa can’t afford another failure.
The big question the Safa bosses have to answer is: Can Mashaba deliver the goods and qualify the continent’s richest nation for the world showpiece in Russia in two years’ time?
Bafana redeemed themselves a little by beating Egypt 1-0 in the annual Nelson Mandela Challenge at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday.
But let’s be honest, that was a friendly and Bafana are good at winning friendlies. They need someone to light a rocket under their well paid backsides so they can start qualifying for major tournaments such as Afcon and the World Cup.
