While South Africa may lack a standout player like Victor Osimhen, Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos remains optimistic that the team’s collective strength will be the key to overcoming Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final on Wednesday.
In an interview with AFP in the Ivorian city of Bouake, Broos acknowledged the absence of a singular star player, contrasting it with Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen, who plays for Napoli. Broos emphasized the importance of the collective effort in making South Africa a formidable team, stating, “We don’t have players like that, so it is really the collective that makes us a good team. Everyone does their job, and that is sometimes more important than having a few great players.”
Broos heavily relies on players from the dominant Mamelodi Sundowns side in South African club football, which has secured the last six domestic titles. The starting lineup has remained unchanged for the last four matches, with only one alteration from the team that began the opening 2-0 defeat against Mali. Siyanda Xulu of SuperSport United made way for Grant Kekana of Sundowns.
Despite concerns about potential fatigue from a lack of changes, Broos believes the familiarity among players from the same club side provides advantages. “They are used to playing together, so there are certain things they know how to do automatically,” he explained. The coach highlighted the cohesion in the defense, consisting of four Sundowns players, stating that it eliminates the need for extensive intervention on his part.
Broos expressed a preference for continuity, stating, “I am not someone who changes for the sake of it. I know that rotation is used a lot in modern football, but on the other hand, for me, a team that wins is a confident team, and you mustn’t change it too much.”
Having a rich coaching background in the club game, Hugo Broos is in only his second international management role, aiming to replicate his success with Cameroon in the 2017 Cup of Nations. Drawing parallels between the two campaigns, he noted similarities in starting slow, finishing second in the group, and ultimately overcoming strong opponents to reach the semi-finals. Broos expressed hope that the familiarity with past successes would propel South Africa to win the AFCON, potentially earning him a place alongside managers like Herve Renard, who won the Cup of Nations with two different teams.
