South Africa midfielder Thalente Mbatha has called on his teammates to remain confident and respond positively after their narrow defeat to Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Bafana Bafana were beaten 1–0 in a tightly contested group match, despite pushing hard for an equaliser in the second half. Mbatha said the team’s intent was clear after the break, even if the outcome did not go their way.
“We went looking for the win in the second half,” he said. “It was about putting more attacks together and trying to secure a goal. The coach tried everything, it was just not a good day for us.”
The match was not without controversy, with South Africa left frustrated by a key refereeing decision late on. Mbatha revealed the players believed they should have been awarded a free-kick or a penalty after a VAR review.
“It is frustrating because we believed it was a free-kick or a penalty for us,” he added. “The referee went to the screen to check, but at the end of the day, his word is final.”
Despite the disappointment, Mbatha insists South Africa must quickly shift their focus to the next group game, with qualification still within reach.
“We must come back stronger and get a win on Monday,” he said. “It is a matter of being confident and believing in our abilities. We do have the quality, but we must be sharper and wiser.”
With the group finely balanced, South Africa know a positive response in their next outing could yet revive their AFCON campaign.
