Platinum Stars coach Cavin Johnson, who worked for three years as an assistant to South Africa coach Gordon Igesund, chats to Football411 about Bafana Bafana.
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The coaching duo worked together at Ajax Cape Town and Mamelodi Sundowns and are still in regular contact.
Johnson believes that if anybody can get Bafana to perform at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, it's Igesund.
"Gordon has the best players South Africa has to offer and if they listen to him, if they follow all his instructions, they will become a praiseworthy team," claimed Johnson.
"Gordon's record speaks for itself, look at what he done with Swallows," he said of Igesund's tenure at Moroka Swallows, where the veteran tactician saved the Dube Birds from relegation in 2010/11, and then led them to a second-placed finish in 2011/12.
Bafana lost 1-0 to a defensively organised Norway on Tuesday, but Johnson says that matters little as he reckons there were positive signs in South Africa's performance in Cape Town.
"I could see glimpses of his mentality, the work ethic he wants from players individually and as a team," the Dikwena boss said.
"He has a culture, a style that shouts victory.
"It would have been nice to win that match, they dominated, created, but could not finish.
"That domination and passing you saw comes from Gordon having worked with this team for a week or two now. Now from that performance I can tell you they will get better.
"There was a lack of composure but that is something that can be corrected ahead of the AFCON."
Johnson also singled out Stars winger Thuso Phala, who put in a man-of-the-match performance for his country.
"Thuso played really well and deserved the accolade; he did us at Platinum Stars proud and showed his worth to Bafana as well," he said.
Phala, as well as Sundowns ace Katlego Mphela, missed good chances to score, but Johnson remains upbeat about what they will do during AFCON.
"I am confident that they will go far, I cannot write them off after a 1-0 loss," the former School of Excellence mentor concluded.
"The way they played showed the potential they have - these guys will deliver, I believe that."
By Shahied Joseph
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bucsino
"We shouldnt just comment directionlessly without being realistic. Gordon and his charges won't make it."
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