Broos should have stuck with 4-3-3 formation against Cameroon — Motale

That was the reaction from Bafana Bafana legend Edward “Magents” Motale when Sowetan asked him to comment on what did not work for the senior national soccer team in their 2-1 loss to Cameroon in the African Cup of Nations. Bafana Bafana — the 1996 champions of the tournament, which is often called Africa’s World Cup because it’s the continent’s most prestigious tournament — were eliminated from the competition by Cameroon on Sunday evening. The Indomitable Lions’ progress was made possible by goals from Junior Tchamadeu and Michel Kofane.

Bafana Bafana’s consolation goal was scored by late substitute Evidence Makgopa. Motale said coach Hugo Broos should have stuck with the starting line-up he used when Bafana Bafana narrowly lost to Egypt. He said Broos should also not have abandoned the 4-3-3 formation, which worked wonders throughout Bafana Bafana’s African Cup of Nations qualifiers, and should not have experimented with the more defensive 3-4-3 system.

“We would still be in the running had the coach used the same starting line-up he chose for the game against Egypt,” said Motale, who was in the Bafana Bafana squad that won the continental soccer showpiece in 1996. “The 4-3-3 formation won Bafana Bafana two matches — against Angola and Zimbabwe; it also gave hell to the Egyptians [who defeated Bafana Bafana 1-0],” said Motale. “I asked why fix something that is not broken.

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It was unclear if Broos’ plan was to match the game plan of Cameroon. But it backfired. That’s the reason he could not get the best out of Relebohile Mofokeng, Oswin Appollis, and Khuliso Modau [who had to change from his usual right back to right wing back when he is more of a defensive player than an attacking one].” Motale, who earned seven caps for Bafana Bafana between 1994 and 1995, also questioned why Bafana Bafana played a friendly match against a second-string Ghana team [who did not qualify for the African Cup of Nations]. “To make matters worse, that friendly was played here [at Dobsonville Stadium],” he said.

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