Former Bafana Bafana Striker Katlego Mphela Says 5-0 Defeat to France Was Embarrassing

Former Bafana Bafana Striker Katlego Mphela Says 5-0 Defeat to France Was Embarrassing

Keba Mothoagae
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:59 PM
  • Former Bafana Bafana striker Katlego 'Killer' Mphela labelled South Africa's 5-0 defeat by France as embarrassing
  • Les Bleus thoroughly schooled Bafana at the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille; a match that amounted to nothing more than a training match
  • Mphela was on the scoresheet the last time Bafana played against France, netting in a 2-1 FIFA World Cup win back in 2010 hosted by South Africa

Former Bafana Bafana striker Katlego Mphela was brutal in his assessment of South Africa's crushing 5-0 defeat by France last night.

Mphela described the loss in Lille at the Stade Pierre Mauroy as an embarrassment. Kylian Mbappe scored twice , while Olivier Giroud, Wissam Ben Yedder and Matteo Guendouzi also chipped in to ensure South Africa's joint-heaviest defeat since being readmitted into international football in 1992.

bafana bafana, france, south africa, les bleus, katlego mphela, embarrassing, embarrassment, kylian mbappe
Katlego Mphela scores during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group A match between France and South Africa at the Free State Stadium on June 22, 2010 in Bloemfontein.
Source: Getty Images

The other 5-0 hammering came against Brazil at Soccer City in March 2014. Interestingly, when Bafana defeated France at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Mphela was on the scoresheet in the 2-1 win together with Bongani Khumalo, while Florent Malouda netting for the French.

Mphela said to KickOff:

"They deserved the result. They had a few good touches at the beginning of the match, but then kept losing the ball as the game progressed. There were no shots at goal. It was embarrassing when our league is considered one of the biggest in Africa.
"Their approach to the game was not good. They were lucky not to concede more than five goals against a quality side like France. They were handed a lesson, and hopefully, they will learn from this and improve."

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos 'angry' at France coach Didier Deschamps after 5-0 thumping

South African men's national coach Kylian Mbappe half-seriously said he was angry at his French counterpart Didier Deschamps.

France annihilated Bafana Bafana 5-0 in Lille last night, inflicting South Africa's joint-worst defeat (after Brazil in 2014) since readmission to international football. Kylian Mbappé (2), Olivier Giroud, Wissam Ben Yedder and Matteo Guendouzi all got onto the scoresheet for the French side.

As reported by Sports Brief, Mbappe's destruction of the hapless visitors made Broos wish that Deschamps had selected him for the Ivory Coast match, which he missed, instead of against Bafana.

Former striker Katlego Mphela has labelled Bafana Bafana's 5-0 drubbing by France in an international friendly on Tuesday as embarrassing.

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Keba Mothoagae
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