AFCON
How Bafana Bafana Plan to Play
South Africa’s coach, Stuart Baxter has opted for strategies that cover up for the shot camping he had with his players.
Sport Village Square has gathered that the English man, whose team only assembled on Sunday and had had just two full days of training on Monday and Tuesday before taking a flight to Nigeria on Wednesday has told the players that tactical play will be the only option left for them.
South African sources informed Sports Village Square that Baxter told the Bafana Bafana players “to work under pressure in confined spaces‚ then release the ball quickly on the counterattack”.
They will train on Thursday afternoon after their flight to Uyo on the outer fields of the match venue‚ Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.
Before leaving South Africa‚ Coach Stuart Baxter at training sessions was seen working the players to react quickly in confined spaces‚ preparing for the pressure Nigeria will undoubtedly try to put on them,
He analysed the Super Eagles as a mixture of youth and experience. He told his players that the Super Eagles “might be on the whole smaller physically than previous generations‚ but still like to play a high-tempo contact game.
“I think they’re a playing team. They’ve got a lot of players who want the ball into feet‚” Baxter said.
“They attack space because they’ve got speed up-front. If they build up they will attack space in-between and behind our defenders in the last third.
“Maybe they don’t have the same extreme physical capabilities of the earlier Nigerian teams. But I think that they are still physical in their approach to the game.
“They want to press the ball immediately after they lose it. They want to get in your face. I’m sure that they want to drive the tempo of the game on.
“I’m hoping that there will be a bit of that physicality about it. Because then I think our mobility‚ and our speed and skill‚ will come to the fore.”
Sports Village Square was also informed that some of Baxter’s training sessions have involved three teams keeping one-touch possession on volleyball-sized fields‚ in competition for the most touches.
Also, players worked to keep the ball in confined spaces‚ then releasing runners with cross-field passes. It said much of the pressurising approach the new Bafana coach expects from the Super Eagles‚ though Baxter said South Africa have more than one game plan lined up‚ depending on what Nigeria produce on the day.
“What we know is that they want to play a high tempo. That as soon as they lose the ball they immediately press. The same as (Liverpool manager) Jurgen Klopp’s ‘Gegenpressing’‚” Baxter was quoted as saying.
“And we know that we’ve got to be good at getting out of that first pressure. If we do that‚ and the game opens slightly‚ then we have a chance to use our speed and mobility and hit them.
“And we may decide to press them really high. Or we may decide to drop off and create the space behind them for our quicker players to go into. It doesn’t really matter.
“But we’ve got to make sure that if we go‚ we go together. And if we stay‚ we stay together.
“And when we win the ball that we’re calm enough to get out of their pressure‚ and then use what we are good at,” Baxter remarked.
Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe would welcome an investigation into corruption at the organisation, saying they have nothing to hide following a meeting with Senegalese officials in Dakar on Wednesday.
Senegal’s government last month demanded an investigation into corruption after the country was stripped of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title by the CAF Appeal Board, and the trophy was awarded to the final opponents, Morocco.
It follows unruly scenes in the January 18 decider in Rabat that Senegal won 1-0, but during which they left the field for several minutes in protest at a late refereeing decision.
Motsepe met with officials from the Senegalese Football Federation and Senegal president Bassirou Diomaye Faye on Wednesday, where he urged unity following the fallout from the final. He will be in Morocco on Thursday for a similar set of meetings.
“I would welcome any investigation into corruption at CAF, be it by a government or any institution,” Motsepe told reporters. “In fact, I would encourage it. We will give them our full cooperation.
“I have been told there were problems in the past and we intervened. It is not just in football, but in business and politics too. We cannot give our children the perception that if you want to succeed in life, be corrupt. There has to be zero tolerance (for corruption).
“That’s the best gift we can give football in Africa. Not just talking about corruption, but intervene, put the necessary laws in place) and implement them.”
Motsepe would not be drawn on the matter between Senegal and Morocco, which is now before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“There is nothing I can tell you that I haven’t said already 10, 15, 20 times. You can ask me the same question 100 times, I’ll give you the same answer 100 times. I have an obligation to respect that the matter is now in front of the highest (sports) court in the world.”
Motsepe quashed any suggestion that Morocco had been treated favourably in the appeal process.
“Under no circumstances will any single country in Africa be treated more preferentially or more favourably than any other. That will never happen,” he said.
“We are confident we will come out of these challenges more united amongst the 54 nations in Africa.”
-Reuters
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By Kunle Solaja.
Patrice Motsepe has intensified his diplomatic shuttle across African football corridors with a crucial visit to Morocco scheduled for Thursday, as the fallout from the controversial AFCON 2025 Final continues to reverberate across the continent.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed that Motsepe will meet with Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF), alongside other key stakeholders within Morocco’s football ecosystem.
Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF)
The high-level engagement in Rabat comes barely 24 hours after Motsepe’s crisis-management visit to Senegal, underlining CAF’s urgency in addressing the tensions and conflicting reports that have trailed the AFCON final.
Thursday’s meeting is expected to focus on fact-finding, reconciliation, and institutional alignment following the chaotic circumstances that marred the tournament’s climax. The Moroccan FA has been central to the unfolding controversy, with administrative and refereeing decisions from the final still under scrutiny.
CAF disclosed that the visit will conclude with a press conference in Rabat at 17:00 local time (16:00 GMT), where Motsepe is expected to address the media and possibly provide updates on CAF’s ongoing review of the final.
While details of the agenda remain closely guarded, the visit signals a continuation of Motsepe’s hands-on approach to crisis resolution, engaging directly with national federations in a bid to preserve the integrity of African football competitions.
CAF and the FRMF have indicated that further details regarding the outcomes of the visit will be communicated in due course, as stakeholders across the continent await clarity on one of the most contentious finals in recent AFCON history.
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CAF President Patrice Motsepe is set to visit Senegal on Wednesday for high-level talks with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and the leadership of the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football, in what is widely seen as a crucial diplomatic move amid lingering controversy over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Final.
The visit comes against the backdrop of the chaotic and disputed AFCON 2025 final in Rabat, a match marred by heavy rainfall, administrative confusion, and conflicting official reports from within CAF and its committees.
The uncertainty surrounding the outcome of that final has cast a shadow over African football governance, prompting urgent calls for clarity and institutional accountability.
Sources indicate that Motsepe’s meeting with President Faye will extend beyond routine courtesy, touching on broader issues of football governance, tournament integrity, and the role of national associations in safeguarding the credibility of continental competitions.
Senegal, a major stakeholder in African football and one of the continent’s most influential football nations, is expected to play a key role in shaping the narrative going forward.
Motsepe will also hold discussions with Abdoulaye Fall, focusing on collaboration between CAF and its member associations, as well as mechanisms to prevent a recurrence of the controversies that plagued the AFCON final.
While CAF has yet to officially outline the agenda, observers believe the visit signals an attempt by the continental body to consolidate support among key football nations and manage the fallout from the final’s unresolved issues.
The optics of engaging directly with political leadership further underline the seriousness of the situation.
CAF and the Senegalese Football Federation have both stated that more details regarding the visit will be released in due course, leaving stakeholders across the continent watching closely for signals on how African football’s governing body intends to restore confidence in its competitions.
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