SAZI HADEBE | For once a Bafana coach has the luxury of preparation matches

I’m trying to think of a time when a Bafana Bafana coach had as plenty of time and matches as Hugo Broos has to prepare the team for an Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) tournament.

I was thinking of this as I looked at some of the fixtures Bafana will play in the last part of this year before they make their ninth Afcon appearance in Ivory Coast in January/February next year.

Bafana will find out who their opponents will be after the draw on October 12. It’s a busy time for Broos’s team that starts their 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers at home against Benin on November 13.

Other teams in Bafana’s World Cup qualification group include old nemesis Nigeria, Rwanda, Zimbabwe and Lesotho and only topping that group will guarantee Bafana a place in the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico.

But before we look so far ahead, we must appreciate that Broos will not be short of matches to prepare Bafana for Afcon 2023. So if there was room for excuses for some of Broos’s predecessors, he’ll have none of that.

For me the process to prepare Bafana for Afcon 2023 starts properly this weekend when Bafana play a friendly against Namibia. Bafana will finish the international break with another sparring match against DR Congo on Tuesday. Both these matches will be played at Orlando Stadium in Soweto.

Other than the two matches, Bafana are scheduled to play Eswatini at home on October 13 and travel to Abidjan to face Ivory Coast on October 17, in two ties that Broos has already earmarked as vital preparation for the first World Cup qualifier against Benin on November 13 and another away tie to Rwanda on November 20.

It’s no wonder Broos spoke this week of the need to give opportunities to players he’s never seen or not seen much of in a Bafana shirt. Those players are likely to be given a decent run in the friendlies against Namibia and DR Congo.

Afcon 2023 starts on January 13 and ends on February 11, meaning that World Cup qualifier against Rwanda will probably be the last official match Bafana plays before they go to the Afcon with Broos, a man who won this tournament with Cameroon in 2017.

Often Bafana coaches complain of SA Football Association (Safa) not giving the team enough games to prepare for tournaments, but Broos can’t because both Safa and Fifa’s international calendar for official matches provides plenty of matches this time around.

It’s no wonder Broos spoke this week of the need to give opportunities to players he’s never seen or not seen much of in a Bafana shirt. Those players are likely to be given a decent run in the friendlies against Namibia and DR Congo.

The players Broos needs to see in action, include Lebo Mothiba (Strasbourg FC, France), Kobamelo Kodisang (Moreirense FC, Portugal), Pule Mmodi (Kaizer Chiefs), Mlungisi Mbunjana (TS Galaxy), Nkosinathi Sibisi (Orlando Pirates), Sphephelo Sithole (CD Tondela, Portugal), Thabiso Monyane (Orlando Pirates), Grant Margeman (SuperSport United) and Bathusi Aubaas (Mamelodi Sundowns).

With these six matches in the four remaining months of the year, I feel there could still be one or two new players with a chance of forcing their way into the final squad for Afcon 2023.

Since the 2023-24 season started some Premier Soccer League players have raised their hands, and if they maintain their form, helping their team win a trophy or stay in the top half of the log, they may still be included.

For me these players include Sibongiseni “Ox” Mthethwa of Stellenbosch FC, Patrick Maswanganyi of Orlando Pirates, Thapelo Maseko of Mamelodi Sundowns, Keegan Allan (Moroka Swallows), Tshegofatso Mabasa (Swallows), Ime Okon (SuperSport United), Ashley du Preez (Kaizer Chiefs), Jaiden Adams (Stellenbosch FC) and Neo Maema (Sundowns) whom many can’t understand why Broos is ignoring.

As I say, there could be plenty more players who may force Broos’s hand a few months before the 2023 Afcon. What is good is that even though Broos has a bit of an idea of what his team should look like, injuries have forced him to make several changes this week. This gives a few players a chance to provide Broo options in some areas.

For me, mixing the current squad with some new in-form players will make Bafana stronger for Afcon 2023. That Broos has not closed the door on new players should be very encouraging.