Hugo Broos to miss two first games as Bafana coach

New Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos will miss two potential friendlies the SA Football Association (Safa) is working to arrange in early June as he needs to take his second Covid-19 vaccination shot back in Belgium then.

Bafana’s 2022 World Cup Group G kickoff being postponed to September‚ where they will meet Zimbabwe away and Ghana at home‚ has left space for two friendlies to be arranged the June Fifa international date.

Broos (69) said his new Belgian-Macedonian assistant Cedomir Janevski and a South African assistant to be appointed in the coming days would take charge of those games.

“I will be here in SA until May 24. Why? You know we are living in the world of Covid‚ and I have already had my first vaccination in Belgium‚ and I will have my second one on June 4‚” the new Bafana coach said.

“And I hope that you understand that I will go back to Belgium to receive my second vaccination‚ so I will be protected. And also when I see what will happen in the next months‚ we will have to travel a lot‚ and I don’t want to be sick‚ not for myself‚ but also for South Africa.

“If you have a coach with Covid he will be one month out‚ and in the worst case he will not even be here anymore in this world.

“So I think you’ll understand that I want to go back to Belgium to receive my second vaccination. It’s very important for me.”

Broos said this means he will miss any game arranged for June.

“They will be done by my assistants. There will be a Belgian assistant and a South African assistant‚” he said.

“What will I do? Certainly I will monitor and analyse the games in June. Because this is very important. And I will discuss it with my assistants.

“I don’t really need to be here for those games‚ because I have confidence in my assistants‚ and that they will do it very well.

“I will also analyse the games of the league here. And it’s a pity that we are at the end of the competition. But those games I will monitor and get to know the players playing here because it will be very important for the future.”

Janevski (59)‚ currently head coach of Olympiakos Nicosia in Cyprus‚ is expected to arrive in SA next week‚ following his club’s Cypriot Cup final match against Anorthosis Famagusta on Saturday.