Don’t you think it would be better if Bafana Bafana were never told the true importance of the matches they are playing?
I mean such has been the performances of our country’s senior national team in meaningless matches that one is beginning to think that competitive matches weigh too heavily on our boys.
Take Saturday’s 4-0 thumping of Gambia for instance. Granted, the match was an official Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
But with Cameroon already guaranteed to top the group and Bafana unlikely to be one of the best top two finishers from the 13 groups, the clash in Baku was essentially a friendly.
And as they generally do in such encounters, Bafana brought their A game. Watching them tear apart Gambia, one could have been forgiven for thinking one was watching a completely changed team from the one that huffed and puffed to a goalless draw against the same opposition in Durban almost a year ago.
But it was the same team alright, save for a few changes to the line-up.
This has been the story of our national team for many years, Bafana excelling in friendly matches but being pathetic in matches of real value.
And then Shakes Mashaba goes and heaps praised on his players for producing total football. Really? Total football my foot ... why couldn’t they play this way when they needed to beat Cameroon in Durban or in that disastrous trip to a Mauritania that was supposed to be the group’s weakest side?
It is this fact that the coaches and fans in general excitedly celebrate hollow victories that out national team just doesn’t seem to get the importance of winning the matches that matter.
Remember how just about everybody went all happy over our win over Spain while we were faring dismally in the World Cup qualifiers?
At the 2010 World Cup we joyously celebrated the draw against France even though it meant zilch with regards to our progression from the group stage.
Sure matches such as Saturday’s victory over Gambia show just what we are capable of achieving on the field.
They make it very clear that we have the talent and desire to convincingly near the opposition.
But what use is it to beat them when the outcome is of no significance.
Talk of closing the stable door after the horse had already bolted.
The argument now is that the performance augurs well for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. But does it really?
Will Bafana be as driven, clinical and efficient as they were in Gambia in a few months time when crucial points are at stake? Precedence seems to suggest otherwise.
Unless of course we tell them that the matches are mere friendly internationals and that new Fifa president has ruled that 2018 World Cup participants will be decided on rankings.
With ‘nothing’ at stake watch Bafana dazzle. After all, that’s what they are good at. - The Star