Legend Jerry Sikhosana defends Bafana forwards, urges patience ahead of World Cup preparations

Former Bafana Bafana striker Jerry Sikhosana believes South Africa’s striking department should not shoulder the blame for the team’s early exit from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), insisting the round-of-16 disappointment was the result of several contributing factors.

As the AFCON reaches its conclusion on Sunday, the optimism that accompanied Bafana Bafana into the tournament has given way to lingering frustration, with more questions than answers following their premature elimination.

Much of the debate centred on squad selection, particularly the inclusion of youngsters Shandre Campbell and Tylon Smith. From the outset, it was widely understood that the pair were selected largely for exposure and experience, viewed as long-term investments and part of the national team’s future rather than immediate contributors.

Eyebrows were also raised by the omission of Mamelodi Sundowns striker Iqraam Rayners, who has been among the most in-form forwards domestically and backed that up with strong numbers at the start of the season.

Lyle Foster and Evidence Makgopa led the line for Bafana Bafana during the tournament and, while chances were limited, neither striker performed poorly. South Africa scored six goals overall before bowing out in the last 16.

Speaking at a Hollywoodbets event where former Liverpool striker Michael Owen was unveiled as one of the company’s ambassadors, the former Buccaneers forward, renowned for his lethal finishing during his playing days, stressed that judging strikers requires a deeper understanding of preparation, selection, and team dynamics.

“Sometimes people will just talk because they tend to watch the game play and didn’t know how the preparation was,” Sikhosana said.

“If there is somebody, for instance, like Makgopa, people ask: why is he not coming in, and why is Lyle Foster still playing? We are not the ones to judge in that regard because the technical team deals with the players in terms of training and preparation.

“It happens in football, and you cannot always just predict. We always have our own expertise — football is just cruel. Sometimes you sit on your laurels and think you have all the superstars, then you lose the game because the preparation and approach were not up to standard.

“For me, I cannot fault the striking department. It depends on who is being selected and how the team plays. Is he getting enough supply? Did the player falter because he squandered chances? Those are the factors you need to look at before you start criticising or judging strikers for not scoring.”

Expectations had been elevated by Bafana’s impressive showing at the previous AFCON, where Hugo Broos guided the side to a third-place finish and appeared to have built a team capable of challenging for honours.

Broos has since faced criticism for certain selections and tactical decisions during the latest tournament, but Sikhosana has come out strongly in defence of the Belgian coach.

“Nobody is happy about our performance, but if you know football, you could tell that our previous AFCON was better than this one because we didn’t concede as much as we did in this tournament,” he said.

“For me, it wasn’t a train smash. People start looking at the coach but forget that he is the same person who made us qualify for AFCON and the World Cup.

“We cannot judge him by just one failure and make it seem like he is not good enough. He is still a quality coach and should continue until after the World Cup, then we can take it from there. For now, nothing much can be done — the coach needs to continue doing his job.”