Pitso Mosimane says he’s prepared to test Bafana Bafana against Africa’s elite in friendlies rather than chase easy confidence-boosting wins.
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Pitso Mosimane makes bold moves
Mosimane has made clear he’s willing to put his reputation on the line again by scheduling tough friendlies for Bafana Bafana, rather than opting for the safer route of matches against weaker opposition, reports iDiski Times.
It’s a strategy that has burned him before. During his first spell in charge, which ended after South Africa failed to qualify for the 2012 AFCON, Mosimane deliberately arranged friendlies against continental heavyweights like Ivory Coast, Zambia and Ghana to prepare his side properly, only to see the approach backfire when the results didn’t follow.
Now back in charge 14 years on, and with a reputation built on three CAF Champions League titles since, Mosimane is weighing up whether to repeat that same gamble.
“That’s who I am”
“It’s easy to play a friendly you can always win, let’s play Egypt, come on, let’s do it right, and I also know my fate 14 years ago, because my challenge, I stacked Ivory Coast, Zambia, Ghana, the top six in the continent, I put them in my friendlies to prepare,” he said. “And I got all the draws, and you know my fate.”
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He admitted the temptation to take the safer option is real. “And I’m asking myself, am I doing the same thing again with these friendly games? We can get someone where we can score five goals, and then we can always say we turned the corner, right? It’s easier because you see the goals.”
But Mosimane says comfort has never suited him.
“I’m that guy who falls on his sword,” he said. “I believe you need to do it right, and it might not go well, but it’s part of life. That’s me in football: when it’s easy and comfortable, I get bored; I need the rush, I need to be on the edge a little bit; that’s who I am.”
Originally published by Soccermag.
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