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Mkhalele: I am proud of the effort

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Helman Mkhalele, coach of South Africa during the 2024 Hollywoodbets COSAFA Mens Championship match between South Africa and Botswana at the Wolfson Stadium, Gqeberha on the 29 June 2024 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

Helman Mkhalele says he is proud of his side’s efforts despite Bafana Bafana’s exit from the COSAFA Cup.

South Africa secured a 1-0 victory over Eswatini in their final Group A encounter at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Tuesday.

Although Bafana beat Eswatini, they failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the COSAFA Cup after finishing in second place in Group A.

Mkhalele says his side showed real “character” and “humility” despite not advancing to the next round of the tournament.

“I am proud of the effort, the character and the humility of these boys. I’m really proud of them,” Mkhalele said after the match.

“I would say as the technical staff, I am quite happy with some of the boys that I have seen here, that I believe raised their hands in the three games in terms of getting closer to the senior Bafana Bafana team that plays in the World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers (under head coach Hugo Broos).

“They raised their hands, and I am quite happy because this tournament will go a long way in us knowing that there are players we identified here who can step in.”