Thalente Mbatha Speaks on Pressure About Bafana Bafana's Qualification After Losing to Egypt

Orlando Pirates midfielder Thalente Mbatha insists that Bafana Bafana are not feeling extra pressure following their loss to Egypt in the second group-stage match of AFCON.

South Africa went down 1-0 to a 10-man Egyptian side at the Stade Adrar in Agadir on Friday night.

Coach Hugo Broos’ squad will be looking to bounce back when they face Zimbabwe on Monday, 29 December, with qualification to the next round still up for grabs.

Mbatha remains optimistic despite the setback, emphasizing that the defeat does not increase the burden on the team.

Mbatha on qualification pressure after first defeat

Mbatha told SABC Sport that he doesn’t feel the team is under excessive pressure.

“As a squad, we have the talent to secure all three points in that match. Our priority is to stay focused and execute the coach’s strategy,” he said.

He acknowledged that Bafana Bafana have struggled with confidence in their last two games and emphasized the importance of improving in this area against Zimbabwe.

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“For us, it’s about trusting ourselves and having belief in our capabilities,” he added.

“We possess the quality, but it hasn’t fully shown in our previous two matches. We need to be sharper, more intelligent in our play, and remain concentrated on the game plan.”

Source: Briefly News