Da Gama Warns: Bafana Bafana Afraid to Face Stronger Teams After Disrupted World Cup Prep

1 / 2

Owen Da Gama, former head coach of South Africa’s senior men’s team, has criticised Bafana Bafana’s World Cup warm-up schedule as very poor. He pointed to cancelled charter flights, visa setbacks and friendlies against much lower-ranked sides as evidence of inadequate preparation. Da Gama highlighted matches against Nicaragua and Panama instead of higher-ranked opponents like Brazil. He believes this leaves the squad underprepared for a group that includes South Korea, the Czech Republic and Mexico. He cited the Under-23 team’s disciplined Olympic draw with Brazil away as proof of the value of tough fixtures. He questioned whether financial concerns were behind the choice of opponents and urged both the football federation and government to secure stronger warm-up games. Despite his worries, Da Gama said he will continue to support Bafana Bafana but fears the current approach offers little hope for a strong World Cup showing.

Use The App To Win ₦1m

Stories are shared by community members. This article does not represent the official view of NaijaWorld — the author is solely responsible for its content.