By Brian Bariyo
Stuart Baxter, the Bafana-Bafana coach, has no regrets despite his side clinging on for AFCON survival after losing to Morocco.
Baxter admitted that while things may be bleak for his side after they lost to Morocco on Monday evening, he won’t play the blame game. Bafana conceded courtesy of M’bark Boussoufa’s goal with a minute to go in normal time, and potentially watched their chances of 2019 Africa Cup Of Nations (AFCON) progression take a massive slump.
However, it’ still not over for Bafana, who could still progress as one of the four best third-placed teams, if other results go their way. Nonetheless, much criticism has been leveled against Baxter and his tactics after they failed to register a single shot on target for the second time in the competition, but the coach has defended his game plan.
“I think if you look at the situation before the game, it wasn’t certain we would need the three points. But there are many ways of trying to get three points,” Baxter said. He added, “If we had attacked Morocco … I think they would have enjoyed the game a lot more. I think the players played well in terms of their distances, their angles of pressing and in defending crosses, and we had situations that if we had played better in the last third… there are many ways to win a game of football.”
Meanwhile, the 65-year-old coach has lamented the goal conceded.
“Losing in the last 30 seconds of play, from a set play that was very cheap, it is not time for me to start questioning the players,” he explained. The result now means that the outcome of Group E and F could have serious ramifications on whether or not Bafana remain in the competition. Bafana though were handed a boost after Kenya were defeated by Senegal, and the Southern Africans are expected to learn their fate on Tuesday night.
