South Africa midfielder, Dean Furman, has blamed Stuart Baxter’s men for not moving the ball quick enough following his side’s 2-1 defeat to Nigeria at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, quarter-final on Wednesday.
The 31-year-old experienced player blamed the Bafana Bafana for not hurting Gernot Rohr’s men and allowing the Super Eagles to settle down in the first half.
Goals from Samuel Chukwueze and William Troost-Ekong handed Nigeria the victory over South Africa at the Cairo International Stadium in Egypt.
“They (Nigeria) kind of settled for us in the first half. We did not move the ball quick enough,” Furman told SuperSport.
“So, we did not hurt them enough. Then they got their goal and again they settled and waited for us to make mistakes.”
Furman added: “In the second half, we decided to press them high up on the pitch. Kind of how we were meant to do that like we did the other night (against Egypt) and it worked for us,” he said.
“We became more alive. We got the goal and it seemed like there would be one winner.”
“We were pushing and they looked like they were tired. To concede that goal in the end, in the last minute, it will hurt for a while.
“We can hold our heads up. We fought for every ball. It could have very easily gone our way. I am very disappointed at the moment.”
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