Hugo Broos can cancel Bafana’s lengthy last-four drought with victory over Cape Verde

The year was 2021. May was the month. The South African Football Association (Safa) had just announced Hugo Broos as the latest coach tasked with returning South Africa’s senior men’s soccer side — Bafana Bafana — to its former glory.

“Hugo who?” some said —possibly not aware that the Belgian had led Cameroon to their fifth Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) title in history back in 2017. And their first since 2002.

The 71-year-old Belgian was tasked with steering South Africa’s senior men’s soccer side to the 2023 Afcon — which was postponed by a few months due to inclement weather in Ivory Coast over June and July. Hence it is taking place currently.

When Broos took over, Bafana Bafana had missed out on reaching the 2021 edition of Afcon, under the guidance of Molefi Ntseki.

That instance was just another one of many in recent history that had seen Bafana missing out on participating in Africa’s premier national team contest. Prior to that failure, they weren’t successful in qualifying for Afcon in 2010, 2012 and 2017.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Bafana Bafana must ride the momentum of their biggest win under Hugo Broos

“The aim was always to qualify. We have apologised. We own up and as the association say we have failed the nation. You don’t apologise if you don’t take the blame,” said Tebogo Motlanthe, who was Safa’s CEO at the time of Bafana’s failure to reach the 2021 edition.

“So, the national executive committee, when they sent me here, they took the blame and said we need to apologise to the nation. We know what it does emotionally to the nation,” Motlanthe stated.

The bold and Broosiful   

That was why when Broos was officially unveiled in 2021, he was realistic and keen to manage expectations. He essentially ruled out qualification for the 2022 Fifa World Cup. Saying the turn-around time was too short for him and his technical team.

“It must not be a disappointment when we are not [qualified] because it can happen. So don’t be angry when we have not qualified for the World Cup,” Broos said at his first press conference in South Africa.

Regardless of this stance, Bafana Bafana put up a fight in their World Cup qualification group and were edged by eventual group winners Ghana due to scoring less goals after the two countries finished on 13 points apiece, with the same goal difference.

For Bafana’s Afcon prospects, Broos was more confident. Despite the team’s topsy-turvy relationship with the tournament over the last two decades.

“In 2023, it’s Afcon and if we are not qualified for that you can kill me,” Broos said confidently in 2021.

“So, after South Africa did not qualify for the [2021] Afcon, this is the moment to start to rebuild a younger team — which may have some difficulties to qualify for the next World Cup — but will be ready to maybe play an important role at Afcon,” Broos stated.

Eliminating Africa’s top-ranked football nation is certainly playing an important role. However, with the team only in the quarterfinals — they can still be even more influential.

If Broos manages to lead Bafana into the semifinal stages of Afcon with victory over their next opponents Cape Verde, it will be the best the country has managed since the 2000 edition. In 2013 they made it into the quarterfinals. As they did in 2019.

Broos and Bafana find themselves at this stage of the tournament in spite of some challenges that they have faced, particularly in relation to Safa’s relationship with the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

A request to the PSL to halt action a week earlier than scheduled in December, in order to allow the players enough time to camp and bond before Afcon started, was ignored. To the irritation of Broos.

“We asked PSL now to stop the league one week earlier to give [the players] off [and got no response]. I just had to snap my finger in Cameroon… If it was for the national team, everything you wanted [you got],” said Broos.

“Here it’s totally different. There, everything moved when it was the national team. Here the national team has to move for the PSL. I’m very sorry but it is like that, there is no collaboration,” the Belgian added.

Regardless of the obstacles they have faced, the team is flourishing in Ivory Coast. Though Cape Verde’s Blue Sharks will be far from being a simple conquest. They have been the surprise of the tournament and are brimming with confidence. The islanders are undefeated, boasting three wins and a draw so far.

Nevertheless, Bafana Bafana’s Broos will be well-prepared for the challenges. As has been the case during the Belgian’s three years at the helm. DM