Statistics in Focus: Stirring Qualification Campaign for Bafana Bafana in AFCON
The Unyielding Bafana Bafana 🇿🇦
Our boys in green wrapped up their initial rounds of AFCON qualifiers with a nail-biting 3-2 victory over South Sudan in Juba, ending an afternoon of drama on the pitch. After two matchdays, the squad remains undefeated, staying second in Group K, just behind Uganda on goal difference (both teams have 4 points from two games). In October, Bafana faces a double-header against Congo, starting with a home leg on the 11th, followed by an away leg four days later. Here's a breakdown of the stats from Bafana's international break.
The Thrill of the Last Minute
For the second time in a week, Bafana needed a late goal to secure the win. vs Uganda, it was a 95th-minute equalizer that saved a draw, and against South Sudan, it was another last-minute goal that clinched the victory. While the optimist sees a tenacious squad that never gives up, the pessimist questions the stability of relying on last-minute goals.
3 - Bafana's 90th-minute or later goals in 62 AFCON qualifiers since 19942 - Bafana's last-minute goals scored in 4 days this week
A Leaky Defense?
While velocious Mothwa took the limelight between games for his less-than-stellar performance against Uganda, casting the entire blame on him would be unjust. Against Uganda, Bafana conceded two goals within a span of three minutes and found themselves chasing the game for most of the second half. Against South Sudan, they conceded twice more, creating an even steeper hill to climb towards a win. Although the final score might suggest close games, the numbers tell a different story.
66 - Bafana's touches in the opponent's box combined in both games (26 v Uganda & 40 South Sudan)24 - touches in the opponent's box by Bafana's opponents combined in both games (8 & 16)40 - shots taken by Bafana combined in both games (18 & 22)12 - shots conceded by Bafana combined in both games (6 & 6)16 - shots on target by Bafana combined in both games (7 & 9)6 - shots conceded by Bafana combined in both games (3 & 3)
Despite limiting their opponents' box touches and shots in both games, the number of goals conceded from limited opportunities is a concern that cannot be easily brushed off as bad luck.
6 - AFCON qualifiers played under Hugo Broos0 - clean sheets in AFCON qualifiers in these games10 - goals conceded in these games1.7 - goals conceded per game in these games
A Long-Standing Problem
Conceding nearly two goals per game is not a statistic to be proud of. However, the issue doesn't only date back to Hugo Broos' appointment in May 2021. Bafana has failed to keep a clean sheet in AFCON qualifiers since November 2020 (a 2-0 win over São Tomé and Príncipe). That's a nine-game streak in which they've conceded every time. For context, it took Bafana 13 years (2007-2020) to concede as many goals in this four-year period. The away match stats are even more concerning.
5 - years since Bafana kept a clean sheet in an away AFCON qualifier (0-0 v Seychelles in October 2018)6 - years since Bafana kept a clean sheet in an away AFCON qualifying win (2-0 v Nigeria in June 2017)Bet Now: Dstv Prem
The Man on a Mission
Thalente Mbatha once again stepped up to the plate when Bafana needed him most. In this turbulent AFCON qualifiers, Mbatha delivered two of the latest goals in Bafana AFCON qualifying history.
94:13" - time on the clock when Mbatha scored against Uganda on Friday94:08" - time on the clock when Mbatha scored against South Sudan on Tuesday
Mbatha's heroics helped Bafana steer clear of a disappointing result against South Sudan, who are ranked 169th in the world (47th in Africa out of 53 nations).
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Dive deeper into the statistics, trends, and context surrounding the Bafana Bafana team, including insights from their historical performances, recent AFCON qualifiers, and more. 💪⚽️💪
- The results of Bafana Bafana's recent European-leagues campaign have been inconsistent, with a victory against South Sudan in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers being their latest triumph, but the team has conceded six goals in their last two games.
- Despite their nail-biting last-minute victories during the AFCON qualifiers, the defense of Bafana Bafana has been a concern, with the team failing to keep a clean sheet in AFCON qualifiers since November 2020, and conceding nearly 1.7 goals per game under coach Hugo Broos since May 2021.
- Thalente Mbatha, who has been a standout player for Bafana Bafana, has scored two of the latest goals in AFCON qualifying history, at 94:13" against Uganda and 94:08" against South Sudan.
