- Hugo Broos says Bafana Bafana must win their opening Afcon match against Angola to avoid pressure when facing Egypt later.
- South Africa want to improve on the bronze medal won in Ivory Coast.
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos says the team cannot afford another slow start at the Africa Cup of Nations if they want to go further this time.
South Africa won a bronze medal at the last tournament in Ivory Coast, but their campaign began with a tough loss. They played well against Mali but failed to score, then lost 2-0.
That defeat still worries Broos.
He says starting badly again could put the team under serious pressure.
“We have to win the first game,” Broos said, speaking about Bafana’s opening match against Angola.
He warned that a poor result would make life difficult when South Africa faced Egypt next.
“Imagine you don’t get a good result against Angola, then you will play with a knife on your neck against Egypt,” he said.
Bafana face Ghana in a warm up match at Dobsonville Stadium on Tuesday. After that, they travel to Morocco for the tournament.
Their Afcon campaign begins against Angola on Monday. They then play Egypt on Boxing Day and finish the group against Zimbabwe on 29 December.
Broos believes Bafana are no longer underdogs.
“Maybe now we are one of the teams that can win Afcon,” he said, adding that opponents now take South Africa more seriously.
He also feels the team is stronger against physical sides, pointing to their recent match against Nigeria as proof.
The Ghana friendly gives Broos a chance to test new players. Several Europe based players will only join the squad in Morocco, including Shandre Campbell, Lyle Foster and S’phephelo Sithole.
Broos says everyone still has something to prove.
“I will give opportunities,” he said. “But we will try to win it. This is not a game for laughs.”
Pictured above: Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos.
Image source: File
