The new Bafana Bafana coach, Pitso Mosimane, got his international career off to a perfect start at a freezing FNB Stadium on Wednesday night, beating highly rated Ghana 1-0 in a friendly international.
It was Mosimane´s first match in charge since replacing Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira last month.
Mosimane used this match against the West African World Cup quarterfinalists rated 23 in the world, to prepare for the crunch 2012 African Nations Cup qualifier against Niger at home next month. "This was a good start and baptism for me. Beating Ghana is a tremendous morale boost for all of us.
"Niger, however, will be a different proposition as they will come here trying to play for a 0-0 draw and we will have to score against them.
“Beating Ghana has certainly boosted our confidence and showed me areas I need to work on. They tried to attack but Niger will not play like that and will try to catch us on the counter."
Mosimane said Bafana need to make sure of taking the scoring chances they create. He said Man of the Match and the goal scorer Katlego Mphela, had frustrated him in the first half before he scored the only goal three minutes from the interval. "We should have wrapped it up in the first half with two early goals. When you play big teams like Ghana you have to take your chances.”
Mphela took his Bafana tally to 17 in 36 matches and said he was getting better supply form the midfield and enjoyed playing alongside Dutch based striker, Bernard Parker.
