Was it more a sense of relief than anything else when Bafana Bafana qualified for the Cup of Nations?
What I think was important about this qualification is that when Hugo Broos was appointed, he came into the position and said, "I don't want any 30-year-olds in the Bafana team, because I want to build the team. And if you are 30-34 years old, there's nothing to fight for. You've seen everything, you have achieved everything. There's no fire, there's no desire'. So, when he announced his first squad, I think everybody in the country was shocked because his young boys were not known to the public. So, they were very sceptical. But as we moved along. we had 11 matches unbeaten. And then, of course, there was a setback with a match against Ghana. But we bounced back again, beat a number of teams, and then had to win the match in Liberia. I went to speak to the players and I said "Monrovia, Liberia is a time for you to go back and to fight, because of course we had a setback, but every setback needs a comeback. And you have to show your commitment, your fight for that comeback". So, they left determined to qualify. And qualification in African football is difficult. You must know, away from home, you cannot play pretty football. And the coach realised that, so he made five changes and picked fighters for the conditions. When they eventually won the match, it was a good celebration.
What mark out of 10 do you give Broos? Are you happy with his work so far?
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Denne historien er fra June 2023-utgaven av Soccer Club.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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WORLD CUP DREAM BURNS BRIGHT
Neil Tovey Former Bafana Bafana captain
CONTINENTAL QUEENS
AS BANYANA BANYANA WAIT TO DEFEND THEIR TITLE AT THE WOMEN'S AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS, WE LOOK BACK AT THEIR PAST PERFORMANCES IN THE COMPETITION
TABLE TOPPERS
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PSL SHARPSHOOTERS
AS THE NEW 2024/25 SEASON BEGINS, BOTH BRADLEY GROBLER AND PETER SHALULILE CAN TAKE AIM AT THE PREMIER SOCCER LEAGUE'S GOALSCORING RECORD AS WE RUN DOWN THE TOP MARKSMEN SINCE 1996
BALANCING THE BOOKS
CAPE TOWN CITY HAVE TO FOREVER SELL PLAYERS TO BREAK EVEN. HERE ARE 11 TOP STARS THEY HAVE ALLOWED TO LEAVE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS
INTO THE BIG TIME
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REDEMPTION
THEMBINKOSI LORCH FACES ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SEASONS IN HIS CAREER IN 2024/25
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AFRICA'S INFLUENCE ON ELITE EUROPEAN FOOTBALL IS NOT A NEW THING