Former Bafana-Bafana striker Katlego “Killer” Mphela has opened up on the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt where the national senior team returned without scoring a goal.
Killer says the tournament needs more than quality players because it’s testing on all levels. Bafana finished bottom of Group C in that event without a goal and no points with a star studded front line that included the former Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs forward, Nkosinathi Nhleko, Manchester United strikers’ coach Benni McCarthy, Sibusiso Zuma as the captain and the legendary Siyabonga Nomvethe.
Speaking to iDiski Times in edition 136 of the newspaper, Mphela said the conditions are tough and players need to be mentally ready as well.
“The pitch is difficult, where you stay the accommodation is never easy. Travelling is never easy. The food is never easy,” Mphela told iDiski Times.
“So you need to be mentally ready. I remember there was an AFCON we went to, I think it was in Egypt or something. In 2006 we had all these great players, but we came back, we didn’t even score a goal.”
“We had Benni, we had Zuma, [Nkosinathi] Nhleko, myself and Nomvethe but couldn’t even score a single goal. So these are the things I’m talking about. So it’s difficult, you need to be ready. It’s all about hearts there – mentally strong and physically strong. And then the quality will just come in, you just need to fight.”
You can read Mphela’s interview with IDiski Times Writers Lethabo Kganyago and Lorenz Köhler in edition 136 available on the website.
