Niger draw frustrates CHAN dream, but Ntseki shields players from blame

Bafana played a goalless draw against the West Africans, who had lost their two opening matches against Guinea and hosts Uganda, Bafana failed to capitalise and top the group with seven points. 

This leaves Ntseki’s team with a huge task ahead of the decisive group game against the Ugandan Cranes on Monday.

"As a team, we understand what tournament football is all about. In any tournament football, there are three types of results, you lose some, you win some, you draw some. So, as of now we have drawn two matches, we have won one, so we are left with the last match of our group stage and we are looking forward to the last game,” Ntseki said.

“In terms of our performance, I can't fault the players or the team in terms of the approach, we did our best but we are fully aware that we are playing against a team that hasn't gotten any point or maximum point in this tournament. 

“So, they were more of a dark horse for us because in simple terms they had nothing to lose and you could see even when the game came to an end they were the ones celebrating a draw. 

“So, we understand that going back home they will be able to give a positive result of having played a draw against South Africa but with the result we gave to them as a team in our group, I think that's what football is teaching all of us."

READ: Amogelang Motau on her 2024 SAFJA nomination

Bafana go to Monday’s game against the hosts, third on the log, tied with Algeria on five points and both teams a point behind Uganda, who are on six points.

Ntseki says this group will produce the best teams for the next stage.

"In the press conference we had yesterday, we spoke about our last game of which we were fully aware that it would be a tough match but I think you can tell when you look into the group standings that Monday, it's a final group matches for this group and what is interesting about it is that no team in this group has already got a ticket to go into the next phase,” he added.

“So, that makes the whole tournament very interesting because whoever sleeps on Monday then it means they will have to go home. The three top teams are playing on Monday, so, let the best top teams go through into the quarterfinals. 

“From our group we are going to produce the best two teams going into the quarterfinals and that for football is the best thing you can give back to football supporters."