New Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos says that he will look to rebuild the national side with younger players, adding that he was shocked to see so many players over 30 selected in the previous squad.
Broos replaces the departed Molefi Ntseki, who was sacked after failing to guide Bafana to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
The 69-year-old Belgian, who won the 2017 Afcon with a young Cameroon‚ was unveiled on Wednesday as the new Bafana boss via a digital platform by SA Football Association (Safa) president Danny Jordaan at the SABC in Auckland Park, Johannesburg on Wednesday.
The Belgian coach is expected to arrive in South Africa next week. https://t.co/Vbrca7sdyt pic.twitter.com/NzBoioOOV7
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) May 5, 2021
Broos outlined his blueprint to rejuvenate Bafana with younger players, but admitted it could difficult to reach their immediate target of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
‘With the information I have received and analysis I made in the last few weeks‚ I think it’s the moment to build a new team in South Africa‚’ Broos said.
‘I was a bit surprised when I saw in the selections of the last games that there were so many players who were 30 or more. So, I think we have to rebuild the team – a younger team‚ and take the example of Cameroon.
‘I did the same there. When you work with young players they are motivated‚ and hungry to show something.
‘So I think that‚ after South Africa did not qualify for the Afcon‚ this is the moment to start to rebuild a younger team‚ who may have some difficulties to qualify for the next World Cup‚ but will be ready maybe to play an important role one year later in Afcon [2023 in Ivory Coast].’
With the 2022 World Cup qualifiers starting in early June – though indications are this may be postponed to September – Broos has limited time to undergo a crash course on SA football.
He indicated he would consult his ‘South African assistant’‚ though Safa could not confirm at Wednesday’s announcement whether this would be Ntseki.
‘It’s very important that I can come to South Africa as soon as possible‚ and that I can have meetings with my South African assistant. Because he has all the information that I need for the moment‚’ Broos said.
‘I will also look at several games South Africa played in the last few months‚ and with all that we will analyse what we have to do.
‘There were some things that were a bit surprising looking at this past qualification campaign‚ such as it was very difficult for the team to keep a clean sheet. Except against Sao Tome‚ in the other games they always conceded a goal. In some games they conceded in the beginning of the game.
‘This is something we have to work on. But there are many other things. I will try to be there next week‚ and have meetings on what we have to do in the next month.
‘We will do everything to qualify for the World Cup next year. But it can be a deception if we don’t‚ because when you are starting to rebuild a team it needs time,’ he concluded.
