Bafana Bafana strikers under pressure to end scoring drought against Eritrea

Bafana Bafana’s forwards will be under scrutiny when South Africa face Eritrea in their second Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match at Cairo’s Al-Salam Stadium tomorrow at 6pm SA time.

South Africa opened their campaign with a 2-1 victory over Guinea at Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday, but both of their goals came from defenders. Centre-back Ime Okon and left-back Samukele Kabini found the net, increasing the focus on a strike force that has not scored for five matches.

Mamelodi Sundowns forward Iqraam Rayners led the attack in Pitso Mosimane’s first match since returning for a second spell as national team coach. Rayners, who has scored four goals in 19 appearances for Bafana, was replaced by Orlando Pirates striker Yanela Mbuthuma in the 68th minute.

Mbuthuma was making only his second appearance for South Africa. Whether Mosimane keeps Rayners as his starting striker against the less-fancied Eritrea remains to be seen.

Rayners and Mbuthuma are the only traditional strikers in the current Bafana camp. Two forwards who featured prominently under Mosimane’s predecessor, Hugo Broos, are unavailable.

Evidence Makgopa, who has scored six goals in 30 internationals, is recovering from a knee injury suffered after the recent World Cup. Lyle Foster, meanwhile, is the most recent Bafana striker to score, but has just moved from English second-tier club Burnley to Major League Soccer side Houston Dynamo.

Foster’s last international goal came in a behind-closed-doors pre-World Cup friendly against Jamaica in Mexico in early June. The match finished 1-1.

Mosimane acknowledged that his options in attack are limited, particularly when compared with the depth available in other areas of the squad.

“Let’s stack these players as I tell you. Let’s have three left-backs, three right-backs, five centre-backs, five midfielders. I cannot say that with the strikers… I don’t really have that much in terms of experience,” Mosimane said.

The coach must now decide whether to continue with Rayners, turn to Mbuthuma or adjust his attacking approach as Bafana seek another win in their Afcon qualifying group.

The immediate objective will be for a striker to break the team’s run without a goal from a forward, after defenders supplied both goals in the victory over Guinea.