Broos expects improvement as Premier League starts

With the Premier Soccer League (PSL) set to start this weekend, Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos expects his players to be better when they face Congo Brazzaville in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) back-to-back qualifier in October.

Bafana beat South Sudan 3-2 in their second match of Group K at Juba National Stadium on Tuesday after a brace from Oswin Appollis in the first half, before Thalente Mbatha netted in time added on to give them a win.

Tito Okello and Valentino Yuel scored for South Sudan to make it 2-2. Bafana now have four points after drawing 2-2 with Uganda in the opening match last Friday.

Uganda top the group after their superior goal difference, while Congo are third with three points. Broos lamented their lack of sharpness in their two matches saying it was because they didn’t have enough competitive games recently.

“I said last time that the big trouble we have for this moment is that our players didn’t play competitive games,” he told the media during the post-match press conference.

“Eighty percent of the players only played preseason friendly games. We saw that in both games we were not sharp enough. This is not SA we knew from other games.

“Second thing, individual mistakes in two games. The second goal against Uganda was a mistake, today [Tuesday] the two goals of South Sudan were from mistakes, two defensive mistakes we made.

“So, this is something we have to do better in the next game, certainly next month against Congo. I’m sure it will be because my players would have had more competitive games. After all, this weekend the league is starting in SA.

“That was a problem we had for those two games, as we didn’t have competitive matches. There was a lack of sharpness in our game.”

Bafana can take control of the group if they win their back-to-back clashes against Congo on October 7 at home and 15 away and Uganda fail to collect points against South Sudan.

“I think we are in a good position but again, I think the two games in October against Congo will be key. Key games in a way that if we can at least have four points or six, that should be a perfect thing because we still have to host Sudan,” he said.

“I’m not saying we will win before the game, but if you want to qualify you have to win all your home games and I think after that game we would have qualified already.

“Next month is a very important month for us and two important games.”