Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos hits out at ‘unfair criticism’

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has hit out at the perceived criticism he has received for his team going four matches without a win.

Second-string outfits have competed in the Cosafa Cup and African Nations Championship (Chan) with mixed results under Boos’s assistant Helman Mkhalele. The friendlies against Sierra Leone on Saturday and Botswana on Tuesday are the first for the senior squad since a 2-1 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying defeat away to Morocco in June.

After running Ghana close in the 2022 World Cup qualifying group stage last year, Broos’s front-line combination has had a tough 2022, losing 5-0 in a friendly against world champions France in Lille on March 29, which followed a 0-0 draw against Guinea in Brussels four days earlier.

After a dramatic run of four wins and a draw Broos’s young Bafana lost 1-0 against Ghana in Cape Coast in November 2021 and bowed out of the World Cup on goals scored.

Broos’s complaints of criticism are strange. Most of the focus after the World Cup disappointment was on the horror officiating and a dubious penalty in Cape Coast.

Criticism of the coach after the thrashing by France was subdued, and the result in Morocco was not hailed as a train smash.

In June Broos responded to some of the criticism he received with a polarising opinion that the standard of players being produced by the Premier Soccer League (PSL) is not high enough. He apologised to the SA Football Association (Safa) for the statement soon afterwards, but won much support for the sentiment publicly.

As SA assembled at Dobsonville Stadium for the games against Botswana and Sierra Leone, Broos labelled criticisms of his performance as “unfair”.

“I have to admit that we had a period behind us that was disappointing. We had three defeats,” he said.

“The only thing was thatI felt the reaction to those three defeats was unfair.

“When we drew Ghana for the World Cup qualifiers everyone said to me, ‘It will be very difficult because how can we beat Ghana?’

“So we did it [beat Ghana], in September [2021], but in the crucial game in Ghana we lost. And from that moment my critics started. There were already some people asking for my resignation.

“We won four times, played one draw and lost the crucial game. I think it was a bit logical that we should lose the game in Ghana.

“Then came the game against France, and the defeat was big. But we played against the world champions — everybody forgot that.

“And after that it was Morocco. I think if you were asked before the game against Morocco whether you thought SA would win there, I think every South African would say, ‘It will be very difficult — Morocco is a good team’.

“We lost 2-1 — I don’t think you could say that was a surprise. You can lose in Morocco. But the critics were even worse.

“And I tell you I was very frustrated, because I find this unfair.

“So I did something I normally I wouldn’t do. And it was my responsibility, but I learnt from that and it will not happen again — the declarations I made in June.”

Broos said the games against 113th-ranked Sierra Leone and 146th-ranked Botswana are partly aimed at restoring Bafana’s confidence.

“Second, Sierra Leone are similar to Liberia. We have those two very important games in March and playing Sierra Leone can be important preparation.

“The game against Botswana, like I said before I wanted to have two friendly games in September, so I have that, and we have to try now to win those two games.”

SA meet Liberia in back-to-back Afcon qualifiers in March. 

Broos said he would ensure all the players in his 23-man squad play in the coming two friendlies.