Bafana coach happy with some players after dull draw with minnows Andorra

22 March 2024 - 10:00
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Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos was happy with the performance of some players during their friendly match against Andorra.
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos was happy with the performance of some players during their friendly match against Andorra.
Image: Djaffar Ladjal/BackpagePix

It was a performance largely bereft of quality, cohesion and conviction from Bafana Bafana in the 1-1 draw with minnows Andorra in their Fifa Series friendly, but coach Hugo Broos was happy with the performance of some players. 

Andorra, who are ranked 164th on the Fifa rankings, are the whipping boys of European football and their only positive results since the beginning of 2023 were draws against Kosovo and Belarus. 

“You saw today what I said before the game: that they are a team that plays very defensive, physical, always look for the duel. Their style is first go for the man and then the ball. 

“They lose nearly every game and it is always with one goal difference and it could have happened today also because we gave the goal away easily. But we had about six to seven chances to score and even with that little present we gave to Andorra today, we could have won this game. 

“I am satisfied, not with the result because I would have liked to win the match, but I am satisfied with the performance of this totally new team. I am satisfied with some players who gave me satisfaction.” 

Broos said some players who impressed in the match will be considered for the Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria and Zimbabwe in June. 

“There are guys who we can count on in the next games to follow in June and at the end of the year. I think we learned a lot today. It is very difficult to play against a team like this but it was a good experience for the young guys who played today for the first time.  

“They now know what is the difference between the Premier Soccer League and these kinds of games at international level, even when you play against a team low on the rankings. 

“The goal for us was also to give other players chances and I am satisfied. The problem with South African football is that we don’t really have a scorer, the guy who with one chance scores the goal. 

“If you see the six to seven chances we had today, we only scored one — so we could have won this game if we were aggressive and have more quality in front of goal.  

“This is only little thing that I am not satisfied with but there were a few guys who satisfied me a lot.” 


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