Five talking points ahead of Liberia v Bafana

Bafana Bafana face a crunch Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Liberia on Tuesday evening, where victory will put them into the finals in Ivory Coast next January, while defeat will see them eliminated and facing up to another failure.

They let a two-goal lead slip in the home fixture on Friday to draw 2-2, when they really should have been out of sight by halftime.

What changes coach Hugo Broos will make remains to be seen, but he knows his side will be up against a physical and fired up opponent.

Here are five talking points ahead of the game.

An artificial surface

A newly-laid artificial surface at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Monrovia will add a layer of complexity to the fixture for Bafana, with many of their players not used to playing on plastic. It has been an issue for the side in the past where they have under-performed on artificial grass, where there are differences in the bounce of the ball and the pace of it across the ground. Technology has advanced in recent years to lesson these differences, but it is still something ‘foreign’ to most Bafana players.

The crowd

Liberia coach Ansu Keita suggested the stadium will be full eight hours before kick-off and while that may be an exaggeration, there is no doubt it will be packed to the rafter and the locals baying for Bafana blood. Liberia have only been to two Nations Cup finals before and this is a major, major chance for them to create some history. It is also a chance for the country’s President George Weah, one of the greatest African players ever, to ride the wave of good feeling that will surely come with an unexpected qualification.

The referee

When CAF made their referee appointments for this fixture they probably did not peg it as being such a crucial one, but they have still handed the match to a relatively inexperienced official in Ghanaian Daniel Laryea. He has been a CAF official since 2012, but mostly confined to tournaments such as the African Nations Championship. He was an official at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, but got only one game, the group fixture between Guinea and Malawi. He will be under huge pressure and how he handles the crowd and home officials will be key.

Bafana changes?

There was not a lot wrong with Bafana’s performance in the 2-2 draw on Friday, bar the final 20 minutes when they invited Liberia pressure. They should have been out of sight by halftime and then had further chances to score in the second period. It could easily have been a game they won 5-0 and Liberia would have no complaints. So does Broos stick with what he has, or shuffle the pack? Despite missed chances, you would think he would stick with the attacking line, so the question comes down to central defence and midfield, where the most pressure will be on the side. He felt the side were not aggressive enough in those last 20 minutes, so perhaps bringing in a Sphephelo Sithole from the start may be one switch.

Broos’ future

It is fair to say his future with the team depends on this result. He had made it clear from his appointment that qualifying for this Nations Cup was non-negotiable and a failure to do so would mean he had not fulfilled his mandate. The same for the 2026 World Cup. So it does not seem possible he can stay on if Bafana do not qualify, and so a new cycle under yet another new coach will start. Groundhog Day for Bafana.