Hugo Broos (coach) of Bafana Bafana during the South Africa mens national soccer team press conference at FNB Stadium on October 12, 2023 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
(Photo by Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images)
Head coach Hugo Broos has called for calm over Bafana Bafana’s goalless draw against Lesotho, and explained what went wrong for his side during the practice match.
Ahead of their trip Ivory Coast to compete in the AFCON, South Africa played a practice match against neighbours Lesotho that ended in a 0-0 draw, prompting questions for squads readiness for the continental showpiece.
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However, speaking to SAFA media after the match, Broos insisted that the encounter served it’s purpose and attributed the draw to a lack of freshness.
“I said before the game that it is a preparations game, we had some hard work in the last few days and I think we needed a little bit of more freshness to beat Lesotho,” Broos said.
But I’m not unhappy, certainly not and everyone had the opportunity to play so I think what we wanted to or to do we have a done.
“We would have liked to win the game, that is for sure and everyone will they ‘oh nil-nil against Lesotho’ but you have to see the circumstances and again, as I said even before the game that this is not even a friendly match for me, it’s a preparation game.
“What we needed to see and what we needed not to see, that’s what happened today. We wanted to see the mentality and the mentality was good.
“I knew that the freshness will not be there and you saw it today, there some moments in the game that we needed that freshness.
“But on the other side, I asked the players before the game to show that they have a good mentality, that they want to win the game and that’s what I saw.
“In a few other days, that will be different, we will be better and that will be better.
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Bafana will start their 2023 AFCON title pursuit with a Group E clash against Mali on 16 January before meeting Namibia on 21 January and wrapping up the group stage action against Tunisia on 24 January.
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