Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos says he will negotiate with the Premier Soccer League to have another training camp ahead of next year’s back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Liberia.
The senior men’s national team is currently in camp preparing for two international friendlies. They first come up against Sierra Leone this coming Saturday and face Botswana in another international friendly three days later.
Both matches will be played at the iconic FNB Stadium in Johannesburg. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced in August that all the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches scheduled for September have now been pushed to March next year.
This was done to give the five African nations enough time to prepare for this year’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The decision was made after the AFCON tournament was postponed from June 2023 to January 2024 in Ivory Coast.
Broos says he cannot afford not to have a training camp for a period of six months. The next FIFA international break will be between November and December during the World Cup in Qatar. But the Premier Soccer League will be staging the revamped Carling Black Label Cup in November.
“We are in negotiation and we will see what the verdict is if the clubs at the PSL don’t want to release the players, I can’t have a camp, it’s impossible because the players are not there so that means or it should mean if we don’t have a camp in November, then it will be six months from now till I see the players again.”
The 70-year old Belgian coach says it was a bitter pill to swallow to lose three games in a row. The focus now is on the two upcoming friendlies to boost the confidence of the team.
“It’s important because we have to be well prepared for the games in march against Liberia, first thing, second thing I think Sierra Leone have the same type of team like Liberia so it’s a good opportunity to play against such a team, and third the qualifying games were postponed until March so we needed some games to play,” Broos explains.
Bafana Bafana has lost a crucial member of their technical staff. First assistant coach Cedomir Janevski has been released from his contract. Janevski has been given a contract in Cyprus, and Broos will only have local coach Helman Mkhalele to work as his assistant.
“I go on with Helman, I have full confidence in him, I know him much better than one year ago and I see no reason why I should take another assistant,” Broos reiterates.
Bafana Bafana has roped in defender Siyanda Xulu in the place of the injured Thibang Phethe. Xulu has been inactive for several months, before recently joining a club in Turan-Tovuz IK in the Azerbaijan Premier League.
“It gives me the opportunity again and as you see there are a few new players in the selection so it gives me the opportunity to see those players and let’s hope they can increase the quality of the team,” says Broos.
Broos hopes to give all his players a chance to play in the two upcoming friendlies. One of the players keen to showcase his talent is 22-year old midfielder Luke Le Roux.
The Swedish based central midfielder is one of the new call ups expected to earn his first Bafana Bafana cap.
VIDEO: Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos lines up friendly matches to boost team confidence:
