New Bafana coach ‘wants to work with youngsters’
HUGO Broos was appointed as the new Bafana Bafana coach because his desire to integrate more youngsters into the senior national team made him stand out from the rest of the candidates.
That was the word from the South African soccer bosses yesterday after the 69-year-old Belgian coach was unveiled as a surprise choice ahead of Benni McCarthy, who was heavily punted as a favourite recently.
The announcement ended speculation about the identity of the man to replace Molefi Ntseki, who was sacked at the end of March after failing to guide the national team to the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon.
“One of the highlights in Hugo's presentation is that he wants to work with youngsters,” said South African Football Association (Safa) technical committee member Buddha Mathathe.
“They are the future. That was a compelling argument from Hugo Broos.”
He added: “We also know that our under-23 team has qualified for the Olympics. So, it's a perfect opportunity for him to build around that team going forward. As the technical committee, we are confident that we've recommended the right candidate to the NEC.”
Broos is no stranger to African football. Four years ago, he inspired Cameroon – the Indomitable Lions – to the Afcon crown by defeating Egypt 2-1 in the final.
Broos is expected to arrive in the country early next week. But he might not necessarily be under pressure to hit the ground running as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is expected to announce the postponement of the Fifa World Cup qualifiers from next month to September.
“I'm very proud and happy to be the new coach of South Africa. It's a country in which I have always wanted to work,” said Broos from Belgium via Zoom.
“I can't wait to come to South Africa and to meet my South African assistant.”
He added: “We will do everything we can to qualify for the World Cup, but it can be a deception if we don't.
“Building a new team takes time. For me, the most important thing is what happens after this World Cup, the next Afcon and the World Cup of 2026.”