September: Bafana Bafana must adapt without a traditional number nine

Former SuperSport United defender Thabo September says South Africa must accept that football has changed and adapt to scoring goals without relying on a prolific traditional striker.

Bafana Bafana have struggled to find a forward capable of filling the roles once held by Shaun Bartlett, Benni McCarthy and Phil Masinga, with midfielders increasingly carrying the responsibility for goals.

South Africa host Guinea in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at Orlando Stadium on Saturday, with the debate over the effectiveness of their attack continuing.

“All the best to coach Pitso for his second era with the national team,” September told KickOff. “Finding a reliable striker is difficult; it’s not easy to put a ball between the posts.”

September, who played against many of the leading strikers during his career, believes Orlando Pirates forward Yanela Mbuthuma could eventually help address the shortage.

He said Mbuthuma had earned an opportunity to develop into the next leading striker for the national team, but urged patience while that process continues.

“But I think we are heading in the right direction in terms of that. I think Mbuthuma has been working hardhe is the reason Orlando Pirates managed to win the league last season,” September said.

“He is the future of our strikers; we just need to be patient a bit.”

Different ways to score

September also argued that South Africa’s attacking approach has changed since the eras of Bartlett and Masinga, meaning Bafana Bafana should not be judged solely by whether they have a conventional number nine.

“In South Africa, our game has also changed since the days of Shaun Bartlett and Phil Masinga in how we attack,” he said.

“We need to be more accommodating of number sevens, number eleven, and number 10s who are scoring. The game is no longer reliant on big strikers like Shaun Bartlett and Phil Masinga for goals.”

While September acknowledged that having a striker of that type would strengthen the squad, he said South Africa were already developing other players to contribute in front of goal.

“Yes, it would be great to have such strikers, but the truth is, we don’t now,” he added. “That’s why we develop players like Relebohile Mofokeng, Oswin Appollis, and Tshepang Moremi to help us score goals.”

September pointed to recent examples of successful teams operating without an out-and-out striker, arguing that the absence of a traditional number nine had not prevented South Africa from making progress.

“We might not have a traditional number nine, but we are still winning,” he said. “We managed to get out of our group at the World Cup. Spain won the World Cup without an out-and-out striker. Arsenal won the league without an out-and-out striker.

“So, we have to adapt and work with what we have,” September concluded.