Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa fires salvo at Bafana Bafana

Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa has lashed out at Bafana Bafana after their "poor performance" against Ivory Coast in their opening match of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) at Al-Salam Stadium on Monday.

A lacklustre Bafana had no answer to Jonathan Kodjia's 65th minute strike and a disappointed Mthethwa‚ who's been in office for a few weeks since president Cyril Ramaphosa announced his cabinet‚ shared his feelings with members of the media at the exclusive Hilton hotel in Cairo on Tuesday afternoon.

"I don't think it would be acceptable and South Africans are justified in criticising this poor performance.

"It was poor and the next match is on Friday (against) Namibia.

"In fact‚ Bafana Bafana are supposed to win all the remaining matches. They are supposed to win playing with Namibia and against Morocco‚" Mthethwa said.

Mthethwa was accompanied by SA Football Association (Safa) president Danny Jordaan‚ who was also said to be far from impressed after Bafana's performance.

Jordaan left the hotel to relay the minister's message to coach Stuart Baxter and his charges.

"Well‚ yesterday we were defeated by Cote d'Ivoire (and) I think we were not supposed to be defeated‚" Mthethwa continued.

"Our national team has all what it takes for it to have won (on Monday).

"They were supposed to win and it was a disappointment (to lose)‚ which was not expected.

"I hear people say it was expected for Bafana‚ but if you trace the past year they have really pulled up their socks.

"So (on Monday) they didn't pull as much as they had to and I don't know what's the issue... they were not coherent on the field‚" he said.

Mthethwa demanded an improved performance from the team in the must-win encounter against the Namibians.

"I don't see why they would fail (to win the remaining games)‚" he said.