Bafana Bafana winger Thapelo Maseko has called for his teammates to up the tempo as they look to bounce back from a 2-0 loss to Mexico in their second Group A game of the FIFA World Cup against Czechia in Atlanta on Thursday.
Maseko fought his way back into Hugo Broos' plans after Mamelodi Sundowns loaned him to Cyprus' AEL Limassol. However, he was an unused substitute in the Mexico loss last Thursday.
"The one thing that we have to improve is our intensity during the match. The intensity at this World Cup is very high, there are many high speed runs and the altitude is also a factor. We have to run extra hard and give a little bit more effort in this upcoming game," Maseko told South African media covering the FIFA World Cup, as quoted by SABC Sport.
The team has received heavy criticism for their opening performance, which saw Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane sent off. However, Maseko knows that the only way to change this is with a better result against Czechia, who lost their opener 2-1 to South Korea.
The 22-year-old said: "Something that I've picked up as a South African who has grown up in different cultures and environments is that South Africans are happy when you win. When you lose, you are the worst -- that's a fact."
South Africa are participating in their fourth FIFA World Cup and their first since hosting the tournament in 2010. They previously qualified in 1998 and 2002 after being banned
Bafana Bafana have never made the knockout rounds of a World Cup, but this is the first time that a top three position in a four-team group could theoretically be enough. The top two teams in each of 12 groups will make the knockout rounds, along with the eight best third-placed sides.
Like Maseko, head coach Hugo Broos has admitted that Bafana Bafana were off the pace against Mexico, although he also defended several aspects of the performance.
"I don't think there was a drop in the standard of my players. It's just that this level is much higher than the level we usually play at. We were up against a very good team today. We played against a strong Mexico side and, at times, I saw a desperate Mexico that didn't know what to do with the ball. Our defensive organisation was perfect," Broos told the media after the Mexico defeat.
Broos started with a 5-3-2 formation, utilising Khuliso Mudau and Aubrey Modiba as wing-backs and opting against selecting any wingers at the start.
The likes of Maseko, Kamogelo Sebelebele, Oswin Appollis and Tshepang Moremi are likely to be competing for spots out wide, with Broos preferring Relebohile Mofokeng as a number 10 to a winger - though Mofokeng played no part against Mexico.