Former Bafana Bafana midfielder Andile Jali has issued a warning to the senior national team saying some things need to change if they are going to be competitive at the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
Bafana are Group A at event to be co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico with the Southern American co-host country, South Korea and Czech Republic.
With the resurgence of Bafana’s form under Hugo Broos, and the tournament being extended in terms of the number of teams participating, there is expectation for the side to at least get out of the group.
The team played two international friendlies against Panama last month where they drew the first game in Durban 1-1 and lost the second one in Cape Town 2-1.
Jali, who has been capped 45 times by South Africa, told iDiski Times senior writer Matshelane Mamabolo, in edition 250 of the newspaper, that he wasn’t impressed with how Bafana played against Panama and also checked out their World Cup opponents.
“No, but for me, from what I saw in this past FIFA week, I must tell you I watched three of those teams,” Jali told iDiski Times.
“And the way they were playing I don’t think – if we’re going to play the way we played against Panama in those two games – I don’t think we are going to make it. Unless we change our mindset and put in more effort than what we did against Panama.”
The former Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns man is of the suggestion that Broos needs to make some changes while the players have to want to win more than anyone.
“Yeah, they looked to me to be much stronger than us,” added Jali.
“Unless we change, there’s got to be some changes – the coach has to come up with something special and the players need to say we want it more than those other people, then maybe there can be some hope. But from what I saw, it is going to be tough if we don’t change.”
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