Tactical shift thwarts South African threats
Benni McCarthy, currently leading the Kenyan national team, has provided a detailed breakdown of the tactical adjustments required to secure a point against Bafana Bafana. During the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying encounter at the Orlando Amstel Arena, the Harambee Stars showed immense resilience to come from behind twice.
“I thought it was a good game of football, a little too basketball like for my liking. I would like to have had more control of the game, especially when we went 1-1 up and before halftime I thought we got into the game good, we controlled most of the situations," McCarthy said after the game, as per SABC Sport.
The South African tactician noted that while his team managed the situation reasonably well after the restart, an unforced error allowed their opponents to take the lead. “In the second half Bafana came out, but I still thought we controlled the game and we managed most of the situations and we caused a bit of trouble after the we started and Obviously we made that first error and we gifted them the opening goal," he said.
Addressing the full-back dilemma
The primary concern for McCarthy during the match was the freedom afforded to South Africa's full-backs. He identified Aubrey Modiba and his counterpart on the opposite flank as the main catalysts for the pressure Kenya faced. By allowing the full-backs to push high, South Africa forced Kenya’s wider attackers into defensive positions they were not comfortable with, leading to a loss of control in the middle of the pitch. This prompted a significant change in shape from the Harambee Stars bench.
"I had to change the system, which I don’t think they realised I changed the system as the game got out, because we got into a beat of trouble with Modiba, the two full-backs on both sides they were causing us problem. Ossie [Appollis] and Tshepang [Moremi] were tucking inside and you had Rele [Mofokeng] and Iqraam that were causing us a lot of problems there and then the full-backs were having a free-ride every single time and then we changed it," McCarthy remarked during his post-match analysis.
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The solution was a transition to a three-man defensive line, utilising wing-backs to man-mark the advancing South African defenders. This shift proved to be the turning point for Kenya, as it not only neutralised the threat but also opened up counter-attacking opportunities.
A fair result at Orlando Amstel Arena
Reflecting on the impact of the tactical switch, McCarthy expressed confidence that his players executed the plan perfectly to disrupt the South African rhythm. “When we changed it, we changed into a back-three and then the wing-backs then occupied their full-backs, which I think they didn’t know what hit them and then we started having a bit of space and more possession and we were able to do what we did," the former Porto and Blackburn Rovers forward added, clearly satisfied with how the match concluded.
Ultimately, McCarthy felt that the 2-2 score line was a just reflection of the effort displayed by both nations. He praised the performance of both goalkeepers, noting that key saves at crucial moments prevented the game from swinging decisively in one direction.
“In the end I think it was a deserved draw for both teams. Whoever had won this game, I don’t think people would’ve been angry or said one team was lucky, because I think over the 90 minutes both teams had their moments. Both goalkeepers performed, really kept both teams in the game. Happy, I’m not sure it’s the result Bafana wanted, but in the end of the day it’s a football match and you coach and you just want your team to win, but I wasn’t able to do it to get it over the line, but they've got another opportunity to come to Kenya and hopefully get something positive from that game," McCarthy concluded.
