DURBAN – Former Bafana Bafana captain, Steve Komphela is optimistic that the national team can be a force to be reckoned with, like they were in previous years.
Principles and frameworks need to be put in place though in order for Bafana to get back to their glory days according to Komphela.
Bafana succumbed to a 2-1 defeat in the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) on Wednesday at Cairo International Stadium.
Komphela told the media at the launch of KwaZulu-Natal Premier’s Cup what needs to be done to fix the national team.
“The result yesterday, wasn’t reflecting in the group stages? Again, we have to come back and reflect, do things the right way. Let us have principles. Let us put framework. This is not just work. Anywhere where there is framework and principles success is imminent,” Komphela explained.
Bafana have declined rapidly after winning the Afcon in 1996 on their debut in the competition.
“I didn’t go into the audit in the squad but I can make a comment on how we fared. We did well up until the quarter-finals. We had a good win against Egypt. It will give us a boost. We didn’t capitalise. If we had more belief and confidence and exacted ourselves even more something could have come up.
Again we were up against a good side but if we are realistic, you could see in the group stages that it was tough to come through.
Steve Komphela is optimistic that the national team can be a force to be reckoned with. Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
“The confidence got back when we beat Egypt,” he added.
Bafana will now shift their focus in to qualifying for the World Cup in 2022 in Qatar.
“It is a very complex question and there’s a very complex answer to that. It is not just one. It is multifaceted.
It is not only a technical problem. It got the whole lot of stuff. It is about preparations, training and development.
It is multilateral, it is a thesis.” Komphela concluded.