LISTEN: Bafana Bafana qualify for Afcon, but is this really an achievement?
Listen to the latest Ballz to the Wall Podcast!
Cassius Mailula of South Africa celebrates qualifying for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. Picture: BackpagePix
Bafana Bafana beat Liberia on Tuesday in Monrovia to make it to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations finals, Hugo Broos’ side qualifying in the end with a game to spare for the tournament in the Ivory Coast in January.
Hugo Broos’ side, however, made heavy weather of getting past Liberia, both at Orlando Stadium on Friday, where the teams drew 2-2, and on Tuesday in Liberia, where they ended up as narrow 2-1 winners.
ALSO READ: Broos lauds Lepasa for telling contribution in Bafana’s Afcon qualification
Bafana have at least qualified, but in this week’s Ballz to the Wall Podcast, Phakaaathi editor Jonty Mark, and football writers Sibongiseni Gumbi and Tshepo Ntsoelengoe give their views on exactly what happened over the past week or so.
Broos has now said we can ‘kill’ him if Bafana don’t make it to the knockout rounds at the Africa Cup of Nations finals, but as 16 teams will do this in a 24-team tournament, is even this actually an achievement?
Bafana have at least qualified for the Afcon finals, however, unlike South Africa’s Under-23 side, who didn’t make it to the Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations, losing to Congo-Brazzaville on the away goals rule, which also rules them out of a place at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Phakaaathi team unpack exactly what went wrong here, as a talented squad couldn’t even get past the qualifying rounds.
You can listen to the latest Ballz to the Wall podcast right here:
