Broos cautions Bafana
JOHANNESBURG – While Bafana Bafana are expected to cruise past Liberia in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, Coach Hugo Broos has cautioned them it will be a tricky mission given their opponents’ association has dangled a carrot for its team to reach the tournament.
According to Broos, the Liberia Football Association (LFA) has been hard at work over the past few months putting together a comprehensive plan to clinch a spot at the continental showpiece in Ivory Coast in January and February.
He said the West Africans have managed to convince their overseas-based players to be part of the squad that will face Bafana at Orlando Stadium on Friday night (6pm) and Monrovia next week Tuesday, and also promised huge bonuses if the Lone Stars book their place at the AFCON.
“Two tough games are waiting for us. The efforts that Liberia have put in the last months show they are ambitious,” Broos said in a press conference at FNB Stadium on Monday.
“They have prepared the stadium (Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium in Monrovia) to conform with the FIFA rules because last year they played their home game (a 2-0 defeat against Morocco) in Morocco. Now we have to go to Monrovia.
Bonus
“Their foreign players want to play for the national team again and that was not the case before. And the rumour I heard is that the bonus they will get to qualify is enormous.
“That means we will have a team against us that will be motivated and it’s up to us to not underestimate them. I think it will be the biggest mistake that we can make to underestimate them. The only thing I think we can do is to look into ourselves - we have more quality and this is not a guarantee that we are going to win but it is an advantage.”
Liberia also have a new head coach in Ansumana Keita after they sacked Thomas Kojo after their defeat against Morocco in June last year.
The strong Atlas Lions, Africa’s historic first World Cup semi-finalists in Qatar in December, will be one of the favourites at the Nations Cup. Morocco lead qualifying Group K with six points, where four points will be enough for either South Africa or Liberia to qualify.
Bafana, who lost 2-1 against Morocco in Rabat last year, have zero points and will be looking for the required points against Liberia to qualify. The group was reduced to three teams after Zimbabwe were expelled from the AFCON by FIFA due to government interference in the sport in that country.