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Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos. Picture: LEFTY SHIVAMBU/GALLO IMAGES
Hugo Broos has come out guns blazing at Bafana Bafana critics, saying that naysayers only motivate him.
Bafana came in for severe public criticism after the team failed to advance to the final stage of the qualifiers for the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers with a 1-0 defeat to Ghana.
The senior national team was ridiculed after they were thrashed 5-0 by reigning world champions France in Lille in April where they were no match for superstars such as Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappé.
“This is the new chapter that we are starting after the World Cup qualifiers last year,” said Broos as Bafana started preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers against Morocco in Rabat next week.
“Before we talk about the qualifiers for Afcon, I want to go back to the qualifiers of the World Cup. For me it was a success with a disappointing end because we lost the last game.
“That goal ‘killed’ us and it eliminated us to go to the play-offs of the World Cup qualifiers.”
Even though Bafana failed to qualify, Broos added that the qualifiers were a success.
“For me it was a success, we had a new, young team and from the six games we won four, drew one and lost the other one. We had 13 points and with a little bit of research it says over the last 12 years all the qualifiers that SA played for Afcon you have never had 13 points.
“The maximum was 12 points and that means this was not bad what we did — but still after our match against Ghana there were critics. I didn’t understand it and it was worse after the friendly games against Guinea and France.
“I don’t understand why suddenly there were so many critics but I can assure you that those critics don’t affect me because it is short sighted and cheap. People are saying the coach is not good and so on.
“It doesn’t affect me, it doesn’t put pressure on me but it motivates me. It motivates me to prove all these people wrong and this is part of the job of a trainer.
“What I see happening with Pitso [Mosimane] in Egypt, he won the Champions League two times but today they ‘killed’ him because he lost the final. That’s life.
“I’ll go on working and I will try to qualify us for Afcon next year. I am sure that we are able to do it. We are in a group of three teams with Morocco and Liberia and it is a little different from the World Cup qualifiers.”
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Bafana coach Hugo Broos lashes out at critics
Hugo Broos has come out guns blazing at Bafana Bafana critics, saying that naysayers only motivate him.
Bafana came in for severe public criticism after the team failed to advance to the final stage of the qualifiers for the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers with a 1-0 defeat to Ghana.
The senior national team was ridiculed after they were thrashed 5-0 by reigning world champions France in Lille in April where they were no match for superstars such as Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappé.
“This is the new chapter that we are starting after the World Cup qualifiers last year,” said Broos as Bafana started preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers against Morocco in Rabat next week.
“Before we talk about the qualifiers for Afcon, I want to go back to the qualifiers of the World Cup. For me it was a success with a disappointing end because we lost the last game.
“That goal ‘killed’ us and it eliminated us to go to the play-offs of the World Cup qualifiers.”
Even though Bafana failed to qualify, Broos added that the qualifiers were a success.
“For me it was a success, we had a new, young team and from the six games we won four, drew one and lost the other one. We had 13 points and with a little bit of research it says over the last 12 years all the qualifiers that SA played for Afcon you have never had 13 points.
“The maximum was 12 points and that means this was not bad what we did — but still after our match against Ghana there were critics. I didn’t understand it and it was worse after the friendly games against Guinea and France.
“I don’t understand why suddenly there were so many critics but I can assure you that those critics don’t affect me because it is short sighted and cheap. People are saying the coach is not good and so on.
“It doesn’t affect me, it doesn’t put pressure on me but it motivates me. It motivates me to prove all these people wrong and this is part of the job of a trainer.
“What I see happening with Pitso [Mosimane] in Egypt, he won the Champions League two times but today they ‘killed’ him because he lost the final. That’s life.
“I’ll go on working and I will try to qualify us for Afcon next year. I am sure that we are able to do it. We are in a group of three teams with Morocco and Liberia and it is a little different from the World Cup qualifiers.”
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