Bafana Bafana’s steady rise under Hugo Broos continues to turn heads across the continent, and on Saturday afternoon in Gqeberha, Zambia became the latest team to feel the full weight of South Africa’s newfound confidence.
The Chipolopolo went down 3-1 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in a friendly that looked anything but friendly for large parts of the match. And after the final whistle, Zambia’s assistant coach Perry Mutapa didn’t sugarcoat a thing. He admitted, plainly and honestly, that Bafana were just too good.
A South African Side With Rhythm And Stability
South Africa controlled the game from early on, moving the ball with the kind of rhythm that comes from years of squad consistency. Even with Broos rotating his line-up to test fresh combinations, the cohesion remained clear. Bafana’s only real wobble came late, when a consolation goal slipped through, but by then the match was long in their hands.
Mutapa explained that Zambia expected a tough afternoon, but the experience proved even more challenging than anticipated.
“This is a really good South African team. Over the last few years, Broos has built something strong, with a deep pool of players,” he noted, acknowledging how difficult it was for Zambia’s new faces to keep pace.
A Young Zambia Side Learning On The Job
Zambia deliberately fielded several debutants, with four to five youngsters thrown straight into critical positions. It was a baptism of fire, but Mutapa insists that was part of the plan.
“We are blooding youth. For many of these players, this was a learning experience, and that is the biggest positive for us,” he said.
With AFCON a few weeks away, Zambia are working to blend their next generation with their experienced heads, rebuilding under a newly structured technical team. Saturday’s result, while painful, offered important insights for their preparations.
Looking Ahead: Angola Up Next
Zambia now shift their attention to another friendly against Angola on Tuesday. Mutapa hopes the team will correct the errors exposed by Bafana and find sharper footing as their AFCON campaign approaches.
For South Africa, the victory serves as yet another reminder that Bafana are steadily rebuilding into a side that opponents now study carefully and respect openly.
Source: SABC Sport
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