Bafana Bafana can beat Canada in the FIFA World Cup Round of 32 by leveraging belief, tightening their defence, trusting young stars, sticking to a familiar formation, and frustrating Canada to strike on the counter. Picture: Molly Darlington/Getty Images/AFP
Image: Molly Darlington/Getty Images/AFP
Bafana Bafana have already exceeded expectations by reaching the knockout stages of a FIFA World Cup for the first time in their history. Now South Africans are asking one question: Can they actually beat Canada?
Bafana face World Cup co-hosts Canada in their Round of 32 clash at Los Angeles Stadium on Sunday.
On paper, Canada are clear favourites. They are ranked 32nd in the world, with Bafana sitting 22 places lower in 54th.
But football matches are not won on paper. Here are five ways Bafana can pull off another famous upset.
Mindset could be the biggest factor for Hugo Broos and his players.
Few gave Bafana a realistic chance of finishing in the top two of their group. Most believed their best hope was squeezing through as one of the best third-placed teams under the expanded World Cup format.
Instead, they stunned South Korea to qualify automatically for the knockout rounds. That result should give Bafana enormous confidence. Incidentally, South Korea are now one place above Canada in the FIFA rankings, so there is every reason for Bafana to believe they can produce another upset.
Against both Mexico and Czechia, Bafana conceded inside the opening 10 minutes.
Although they kept South Korea scoreless in a historic 1-0 victory, South Africa have had significantly less possession in all three of their group matches.
If that trend continues against Canada, defensive concentration will be even more important.
Against Mexico, a misplaced pass from goalkeeper Ronwen Williams gifted the hosts the opening goal. Against Czechia, Bafana were caught out by a quick attacking move that left Williams with virtually no chance of making the save.
It’s also about confidence. There are times when Bafana should resist the temptation to play intricate passes out from the back. Sometimes the smarter option is simply to clear their lines and regroup.
This appeared to make a difference against South Korea.
The 21-year-old Relebohile Mofokeng made his first World Cup start and, although he didn’t produce his very best football, the Orlando Pirates star showed glimpses of his immense talent. He is only likely to improve with every opportunity.
Another player who could be crucial is Jayden Adams. At 25, he brings energy and creativity to midfield. Although Broos is unlikely to start Adams and Mofokeng together, the Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder could provide the spark Bafana need going forward if called upon.
For the first time since Broos took charge, Bafana lined up in a 5-3-2 formation against Mexico.
The experiment proved costly. Simply adding more defenders does not necessarily make a team more solid defensively.
Since then, Broos has reverted to his trusted 4-3-3 system, and the team has looked far more comfortable. The players understand their roles in this formation, and familiarity breeds confidence.
One of Bafana’s greatest strengths is their ability to launch dangerous attacks from seemingly nothing.
If they can enjoy longer spells of possession in midfield, they may force Canada to become impatient, commit more players forward and leave gaps at the back.
As the game wears on, those spaces could become even bigger.
That’s when Bafana can unleash the pace and creativity of Mofokeng, Oswin Appollis and Lyle Foster to devastating effect.