Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos wants his men to be fearless against any opponent following their 3-all draw against Algeria. Bafana faced the Algerians in a FIFA Series match in Algiers on Tuesday night and the coach is seriously content with their displays.
Bafana scored through the fantastic Themba Zwane who clinched a brace and Iqraam Rayners scored in the second stanza. In his post-match reaction, the 71-year-old Belgian mentor Broos says they played a good game against a very strong opponent.
Bafana Bafana Coach Broos Delighted With Display Against Algeria
The clash was staged at the iconic Nelson Mandela Stadium on Tuesday, and Broos wants his Bafana side to play without fear when they face any opponent. For the hosts, Yassine Benzia also netted a brace for Algeria, with skipper Yacine Brahimi finding the back of the net late in the match to secure a draw for the hosts.
“It was a fantastic game from both teams, but the performance of SA was really good today [Tuesday],” Broos told the SAFA media.
“We played against a very strong team, and I don’t think there was much difference between the quality of our game and the quality of the game from Algeria. So, that means we made a lot of progress in the last month. We showed in the Afcon, but I think today we did it again and I don’t think we have to be afraid of any team in Africa. The team has confidence, and it is what I saw at Afcon. It is not only a team on the pitch but also off the pitch and this is very important.”
Broos on Confidence in His National Squad
The former Cameroon manager and ex-AFCON winner added that he is pleased with confidence in his squad, which impressed him at the continental showpiece in Ivory Coast. “We have 23 players and only 11 who can play, but you also see those guys on the bench who support those who are on the pitch,” added Broos.
“This is a good thing when you see that as a coach, you can only be happy. And they showed it also on the pitch, they showed that they are a team, and everybody does his job. They want to win the game and the mentality is good. Again, what we saw at Afcon, we saw today against Algeria. It means that we made a lot of progress.”
Having played two teams against Andorra and the Desert Foxes, Broos was also impressed with the new players and hinted that some of them would be selected again for the qualifiers.
“Without saying names, I think there were players who convinced me. I think they will be there again in June. There were others who didn’t disappoint me, but I think for them, it was a bit too early and this is normal for younger players. You bring them and certainly, on this level, you notice that maybe it is a bit early,” continued the coach.
“All the new players, nobody disappointed me, so this is also a big progression for the team.”
Meanwhile, Bafana will now turn their focus to the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria and Zimbabwe in June.
Related: South Africa vs Algeria Match Review: Zwane Steals The Show in 3-3 Draw
