Bafana Bafana’s star, Njabulo Blom, was surprisingly self-critical despite his impressive performance in the draw against Eswatini.
Blom walked away with the Man of the Match award after putting in a decent shift in midfield as Bafana were held to a dull stalemate against 144th-ranked Eswatini.
It was a rather disappointing display by Bafana at FNB Stadium in Soweto as they were expected to hammer Eswatini.
The Eswatini game was Bafana’s first of the two last international friendly games for the year as they prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in November and the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in January.
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Blom was surprised that he was named Man of the Match, stating he didn’t have a good game.
It was the 24-year-old’s second Bafana appearance, and he played for 75 minutes as he looks to impress in order to make the AFCON squad.
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“For me on my side, in the midfield, I lost so many possessions, I lost so many balls,” said Blom on SABC Sport.
“I think we didn’t have the eagerness to play the balls forward. As a team, we need to be better on the ball and create more chances going forward.”
“I think we should’ve done better, especially for me on my side. As I said, I lost so many balls. I think it’s something that we can fix as a team and move forward,” added the former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder.
Blom hopes for a much-improved display on Tuesday when Bafana takes on the 2023 AFCON hosts Ivory Coast in a friendly.
The games are part of Bafana’s AFCON preparations, as they were drawn in Group E alongside Tunisia, Mali and neighbours Namibia.