‘They can still get their reward’: Springbok coach’s words for Bafana Bafana
· Citizen
Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids urged the South African public not to judge Bafana Bafana too harshly after their one-sided defeat to Mexico in their opening Fifa World Cup match.
The national football team were completely outplayed by the co-hosts, barely registering a shot on goal and earning two red cards to boot when they lost 2-0 in Mexico City.
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Bafana Bafana have been criticised heavily since, and are under huge pressure to turn in a better performance when they play against Czechia on Thursday evening.
‘Everyone becomes coaches’
Davids, reflecting on times the Springboks were under pressure, said the team needed to focus on their controllables.
“Each team, each environment has their own reality. All of us on the outside looking inwards, everyone becomes coaches and people with opinions,” Davids said.
“But we don’t actually understand what happens within the environment. For them it is to understand what their reality is now, what went wrong, what went well, and how they can kick on from that.”
He said Bafana Bafana would have trained extensively and made plans for their World Cup matches.
“If they start focusing on that and start pulling together, doing everything together – I am not saying that is not the case – they can still get the reward that they want to.”
Davids added that Bafana Bafana have the Springboks’ support.
Springboks supporting the Bulls against Leinster
The assistant coach said that the Springboks were also supporting the Bulls, who play their United Rugby Championship (URC) final against Leinster in Dublin on Friday.
It is for that reason that the entire Bulls squad will be unavailable for selection when the Springboks take on the Barbarians and SA ‘A’ face Zimbabwe in Gqeberha on Saturday.
Davids admitted that the URC final impacted selection for those two games, but the Springbok management would have been even happier if the Stormers had beaten Leinster in their semifinal to set up an all-South African final.
“We are very excited that the Bulls have gone through to the final. We would have wanted two South African teams in that final. Those were scenarios that we looked at beforehand, preparing for a team with both teams in the final or either Stormers or Bulls, in making our plans in terms of players available and selection.
“We wish the Bulls all the best. The whole team (Springboks) are behind them and I think the whole of South Africa is behind them. We know they will make us proud.”