It is easy to blame the coach when things go wrong, and the failure to qualify for the next Afcon may well end up costing coach Molefi Ntseki his job because that's generally how it works.
And whether or not Ntseki's coaching methods, tactics and team selection are to blame, the problem now is that he's lost the trust of the nation, and probably some of the players as well, going forward.
And so, while it won't be surprising if Ntseki is given the sack before Bafana begin their World Cup 2022 qualifying campaign in June this year, it won't change a lot, although the fresh, positive energy a new coach could bring would certainly help initially.
Spare a thought though for Ntseki - he can only do so much, and after that, it's up to his players to produce the goods.
Before looking at the Caf statistics from the Sudan game, it's also worth remembering that Bafana Bafana squandered some wonderful chances to beat Ghana on Thursday at the FNB Stadium, but instead had to settle for a 1-1 draw.
Against Sudan at the Al-Hilal Stadium on Sunday, it was always going to be tough for South Africa after they conceded as early as the fifth minute from a set-piece routine. The central defence could perhaps have done better, although the Sudanese should be credited for a well-worked goal.
Bafana then had a succession of chances shortly after conceding, but it just wouldn't fall for them as shots were blocked and Themba Zwane's header came back off the woodwork. Had that gone in, it could have been a very different match.
Instead, the Sudanese gradually grew in confidence and ended up scoring a second goal on the half-hour mark.
But even still, Bafana dominated possession on the night, enjoying 67% of the ball against the 33% of the hosts.
They also had more shots: 15, with four of those on target, versus the nine shots (three on target) by Sudan. Bafana also had eight corners against the one of Sudan and committed less fouls and were caught off-side more often (which can often be a suggestion that a team had been attacking more).
So it certainly wasn't a case of Bafana being outplayed. Results though are unfortunately the bottom line and for many, Ntseki has become the first point of blame.
