Vela Khumalo, who was in charge of the Bafana Bafana squad for the COSAFA Cup, has suggested the reasons behind the embarrassing 3-0 defeat to Angola in the final last weekend.
South Africa was emphatically put to the sword by visitors Angola in the final of the regional cup competition at the Free State Stadium.
The closest the home side came to a goal was Ime Okon’s header that struck the post.
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Angola were more efficient in front of goal.
The result was a major disappointment for a squad that looked to have all the makings of a title-winning team.
More so, following the success of the national U20 squad that returned from Egypt with the Africa Cup of Nations trophy just a month ago.
Speaking on SuperSport TV, Khumalo said he believed the heavy defeat was largely due to fatigue.
"We tried. We wanted to be more offensive, taking on players, but the energy was somehow depleted because of the previous game we played, which is not an excuse. But we take silver, as I said," Khumalo said.
"However, good lessons. I think it was good exposure for our boys. I think Hugo Broos has seen them now and can make decisions on them.
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"We had quality, we had a talented team, we played very well, and it is up to the coach to see who he can pick. One or two in this team will beef up the senior Bafana Bafana."
As for Broos' men, they return to action in September for 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Nigeria.
Photo: Charlie Lombard/Gallo Images
