BAFANA BAFANA strikers believe they can and will score more goals ahead of the 2024 Afcon Qualifier against visiting Liberian side.
During training this week, one could see the hunger and determination in the squad, as they took their paces through.
The inclusion of seniors Percy Tau, Themba Zwane shows coach Hugo Broos is taking no-prisoners in tonight’s clash at Orlando Stadium. Kick off 6pm.
The water-mouth coach also included another Downs’ hottest property striker the (21) Cassius Mailula, although he believes the player is not yet ready for European set up.
“When I look at him and his behaviour in the group, it’s very good,” said Broos of Mailula.
“He’s a guy with two feet on the ground. Even though there are a lot of things to do with him, he’s very cool. I like him very much.
“But I said it a few days ago when somebody asked if he’s ready for Europe. I will repeat again: no, Mailula is not ready. He needs to have more experience and I hope he will stay at Sundowns and play again in the Caf Champions League next season.”
On the game Broos said the line-up he will put out in Monrovia will be determined by how they’ll play in the first leg in Orlando.
“First of all, we have to see what we’re doing tomorrow [Friday]. I think it will be different if we play a draw tomorrow and we have to go to Monrovia. It will be different if we win tomorrow.
“It will depend on that, what we do in the second game. But tomorrow, yes, we have to score. We don’t have to think this or that, no. We’ll try to put the guys who can score and who are ready.”
“Goal difference will be important and so we have to score goals. I think with players we have now, we have goal scorers. It’s impossible to play all of the strikers at the same time but it’s something extra if we have those who will play while on the bench.
We still have players who can make decisions. But when you looked at the bench in the past there was not so much players who could score.”
Unimpressed with the turn of events former Bafana coach Pitso “Jingles” Mosimane, says comments and opinions by Broos are his own.
He’s entitled to say what he feels and sees, says Mosimane who was appointed 2023 Nedbank Ambassador on Thursday at Konka, Soweto.
“Sometimes, our coach says what he wants to say – any time and any day.”
“I think the players don’t know what’s happening outside, they only say Europe whereas there’s North Africa here and secondly there’s the Gulf here. And then, there’s also Europe,” Mosimane said.
“In Europe, there’s Europe of the top six leagues in the world and Europe of where the Patson Daka and Sadio Mane started. There’s Scandinavia, and Belgium. And those countries develop players.”
He said Broos should account for the national team’s failure to qualify for major tournaments after missing the World Cup.
“I listened to a voice clip yesterday and he said he’s responsible for Afcon, but nobody must blame him for the World Cup,” Mosimane explained.
“I think when you are a national team coach, it’s Afcon and the World Cup (that you must prioritise). Maybe he was told he was not responsible for the results of the World Cup.
“How do you say that? I think coach Broos has done well by unveiling young players and all that – at the beginning of course. Themba Zwane and Percy Tau are back, which is good.”
Bafana didn’t qualify for Afcon in 2021 after they had reached the last eight with Stuart Baxter in Egypt in 2019.
Comprising of a strong squad for the qualifiers against Liberia, the team have no excuse but to qualify for the finals in Ivory Coast next year.
“I think we’ll qualify for the Afcon. We only need four points. I have seen Liberia play against Morocco. I was in Morocco. So we’ll do well and qualify for that,” says “Jingles”.
With 48 nations set to participate in the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico, Africa will have nine spots and one of those should belong to Bafana.
Do I hear Liberian Girl ringing at the back of my head?
Image supplied (Back in the fold after injury. Bafana’s Percy Tau and former teammate Themba Zwane at training ahead of Qualifier against Liberia).
