Bafana Bafana secured a 2-1 victory over Guinea in their opening Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at Orlando Stadium on Saturday, but the win highlighted concerns over the team's striking force. The two goals were scored by defenders, centre-back Ime Okon and left-back Samukele Kabini, rather than a traditional striker. Coach Pitso Mosimane's side will look to address this issue when they face Eritrea at Cairo's Al-Salam Stadium.
Mamelodi Sundowns' Iqraam Rayners led the attack in Mosimane's first game of his second stint as coach, but was replaced by Orlando Pirates's Yanela Mbuthuma in the 68th minute. Rayners has scored four goals in 19 games for Bafana, but his form has come under scrutiny. Mosimane will have to decide whether to persist with Rayners up front against Eritrea or give Mbuthuma another chance to prove himself.
The current Bafana camp lacks traditional strikers, with Lyle Foster and Evidence Makgopa, who were key under Mosimane's predecessor Hugo Broos, excluded from the squad. Makgopa is recovering from a knee injury sustained after the recent World Cup, while Foster has transferred to US Major League Soccer outfit Houston Dynamo. This has left Rayners and Mbuthuma as the only traditional strikers available for selection.
Bafana have now gone five matches without a goal from a striker, with the last one coming from Foster in a pre-World Cup friendly against Jamaica in Mexico in early June. That match was played behind closed doors and ended 1-1. Mosimane admitted that he has limited options as far as strikers are concerned, stating that he lacks experience in this area.
Mosimane expressed his concerns about the team's striking force, saying that he cannot boast a strong pool of strikers like he can with other positions. "Let's stack these players as I tell you. Let's have three left-backs, three right-backs, five centre-backs, five midfielders. I cannot say that with the strikers... I don't really have that much in terms of experience," he said.
The match against Eritrea will take place at Cairo's Al-Salam Stadium today at 6pm SA time. Bafana will look to build on their win against Guinea and secure another victory in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. The team's ability to score goals will be crucial in determining their success in the tournament.
The absence of Foster and Makgopa has weakened Bafana's attacking force, and Mosimane will have to find a solution to this problem if the team is to achieve their goals. The coach will have to weigh his options carefully and make a decision on who will lead the attack against Eritrea.
Key points
- Bafana Bafana's striking force is under scrutiny ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Eritrea.
- Coach Pitso Mosimane has limited options as far as strikers are concerned.
- The team has gone five matches without a goal from a traditional striker.
