The last thing Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter wants to do in the four-nations tournament in Zambia is focus too much on the opponents.
Bafana will face Angola today at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium [3pm] in the semifinals of the tournament.
Baxter has an idea of what he would face after attending the Caf games involving South African teams and Angolan opposition to give him an idea of what he can expect.
The Briton was in attendance when SuperSport United beat Petro de Luanda 2-1 at Lucas Moripe Stadium last Friday to reach the Caf Confederations Cup play-off stage.
He also went to Bidvest Stadium the following day when Bidvest Wits were knocked out 3-2 on penalties by Primero de Agosto.
Baxter, though, said that he would rather his team concentrate on their own game than on trying to stop the Angolans from playing their preferred game.
“I was at SuperSport to watch that game and also the Wits game. You can get an idea of their style and what their coach has in mind, but can you be certain? I don’t think you can,” Baxter reasoned.
“You may end up reading too deeply into things. I want to work on our basics so that we compete and we are not fixated on [their players] to say ‘watch that winger, he cuts inside’. I want Rama [Ramahlwe Mphahlele] to be thinking about his game and they can take care of him as well,” he said.
Bafana will play at least two matches in the tournament and Baxter said he would use as many players as possible from his 25-man squad.
Baxter wants Bafana players to focus on their own game
Image: GALLO IMAGES
The last thing Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter wants to do in the four-nations tournament in Zambia is focus too much on the opponents.
Bafana will face Angola today at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium [3pm] in the semifinals of the tournament.
Baxter has an idea of what he would face after attending the Caf games involving South African teams and Angolan opposition to give him an idea of what he can expect.
The Briton was in attendance when SuperSport United beat Petro de Luanda 2-1 at Lucas Moripe Stadium last Friday to reach the Caf Confederations Cup play-off stage.
He also went to Bidvest Stadium the following day when Bidvest Wits were knocked out 3-2 on penalties by Primero de Agosto.
Baxter, though, said that he would rather his team concentrate on their own game than on trying to stop the Angolans from playing their preferred game.
“I was at SuperSport to watch that game and also the Wits game. You can get an idea of their style and what their coach has in mind, but can you be certain? I don’t think you can,” Baxter reasoned.
“You may end up reading too deeply into things. I want to work on our basics so that we compete and we are not fixated on [their players] to say ‘watch that winger, he cuts inside’. I want Rama [Ramahlwe Mphahlele] to be thinking about his game and they can take care of him as well,” he said.
Bafana will play at least two matches in the tournament and Baxter said he would use as many players as possible from his 25-man squad.
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