By The Numbers: Bafana Bafana 4-0 Win v Namibia

Bafana Bafana secured their first win of AFCON 2023 with a pulsating 4-0 win over neighbours Namibia on Sunday night. The result put our campaign back on track, lifting the boys to second on the table and on the verge of qualification to the Last 16. With Groups A to D playing their final round of matches before Bafana, there could be the added benefit of knowing in advance exactly what is needed to ensure progress on Wednesday evening. In By the Numbers today, we look into the underlying numbers that underpinned a big win.

4 – goals by Bafana Bafana v Namibia, only the 2nd time they score 4 in an AFCON game
+4 – margin of victory for Bafana, our most comprehensive victory in AFCON history
3 – different players scored in this game, a joint record for the nation in an AFCON game
22 – years since three different players scored for Bafana in an AFCON game (2002)

A Bright Start

Like the game against Mali on Matchday 1, Bafana came out of the blocks flying. The main difference is that they took their chances, symbolized by Percy Tau confidently stepping up to score the penalty awarded this time. At half-time on Matchday 1, all the numbers pointed to a dominant performance, except the score was still 0-0. Bafana actually had fewer attempts in the first half v Namibia, but they were less desperate and more patient, ensuring better accuracy:

8 – shots by Bafana in the 1st half v Mali (4 of them inside the box – 50%)
6 – shots by Bafana in the 1st half v Namibia (all 6 taken inside the box – 100%)

8 – shots by Bafana in the 1st half v Mali (5 on target – 63% accuracy)
6 – shots by Bafana in the 1st half v Namibia (5 on target – 84% accuracy)

14 – shots on target for Bafanaat AFCON so far – the most of all teams.

Closing Out The Game

3-0 up at half-time is a fairly comfortable lead for any team. But often, we see teams being lulled into a false sense of security and losing their identity and control in the second half. This was not the case for Bafana here. Indeed, how they restricted Namibia in the second half could bode well for the knockout stages of the tournament. It was an impressive display of defensive resilience and focus, despite having wrapped up the game at half-time.

0 – shots for Namibia in the second half
0.00 – xG accumulated by Namibia in the second half
1 – This is the first time at AFCON that one team has been limited to zero shots in the 2nd half

Variety

One thing that stood out from the Mali defeat was the number of times Bafana lost possession in their third as they attempted to build up. No team lost possession in their third as Bafana in the first round of games (10 times). As if to counteract that, the team seemed to be more direct in this game, something echoed by Hugo Broos afterward.

“We are a team that likes to play football … But, what’s wrong with kicking the ball in front? … It doesn’t always have to be with nice football and good combinations …”

By Opta definitions, a 10+ pass sequence is defined as the number of times a team has 10 or more uninterrupted passes. It can be an indicator of how much a team has sustained possession, often indicating patient and intricate build-up play. The difference between the first and second games is night and day, although the game state may have a lot to do with that.

13 – times Bafana had 10+ pass sequences in Matchday 1 v Mali
5 – times Bafana had 10+ pass sequences in Matchday 2 v Namibia

Standout Player

Themba Zwane was the Man of the Match on the day, netting a first-half brace that took the game away from Namibia. Besides the goals, Zwane was a constant menace in the game, enjoying the 4th most touches of any Bafana player despite only playing 70 minutes.

5 – touches in the opposition box by Zwane (more than any other player on the field, despite playing just 70 minutes)
2 – goals by Themba Zwane in this game
1 – players that have scored a 1st half brace for Bafana in an AFCON game before this (Benni McCarthy in 1998)
20 – years since a Bafana player scored a brace in an AFCON game