Smiso Msomi
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has revealed that he plans to build on his side’s success at the Africa Cup of Nations ahead of friendly games.
The South African national football side arrived in Algeria and begun their preparations for two matches against Andorra and the Foxes. Bafana kick off their north African tour tomorrow when they face Andorra at the 19 May 1956 Stadium at 11pm before facing Algeria five days later at the Nelson Mandela Stadium.
The experienced mentor has expressed his desire to fire his men up to treat the matches with utmost importance as they look to climb up the CAF rankings.
“It’s important that we go on from what we achieve in the Afcon, it’s not enough to be in third place and become 10th in the CAF rankings for two to three months only and then we are back in number 13,” said Broos.
“Therefore we have to go on now and try to get good results and try to get better places in the rankings, and we can only do it with results.
“Friendly games are becoming very important, so we will try to get good results in those two so we can win points and get a better position in the CAF ranking.”
In his final 23-man squad, Broos named seven Sundowns players, who have had to travel late because of their Nedbank Cup commitments on Sunday. Part of that group are national team captain Ronwen Williams, as well as midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who were pronounced injured by Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena after their Nedbank Cup clash with Maritzburg United.
Both Williams and Mokoena were absent from the team on the day.
Broos quickly got upset when questioned about the fitness of the two Sundowns players as he spoke to the media on Tuesday.
The Belgium-born coach, normally very shrewd in his responses, stated that he had not been made aware of the injuries to the two players and expected the proper procedures to be followed by Sundowns if that was the case.
“If they are really injured, they have to inform us and not talking with the press and tell them they are injured … They know we have a doctor, they have the phone number of the doctor, so why don’t they call us and give us a medical report?” Broos asked.
“They didn’t do it, so that means they are fit. I’m very sorry, I can’t go on rumours and saying of coach Rulani and maybe the technical director telling me they are injured – give me a medical report! And then our doctor will decide if they are injured or not.
“Why is he talking to the press? Why don’t the medical staff of Sundowns contact our medical staff? Why do they not tell them this is the problem and this is the medical report? Look, those players are not fit and well.
“I’m very sorry but I don’t like that kind of thing and telling to press some things. They have to call us and say, ‘look, this is the problem with the player and this is the medical report’.
“They didn’t do it, so for me, they are fit. Final.”
The Sundowns contingent of players have formed the core of Broos’ best team since he arrived in 2021. The experienced mentor took 10 of them to Ivory Coast where Bafana achieved an unexpected third-place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Williams walked away with the goalkeeper of the tournament award, while Mokoena was named in the team of the tournament.