Bafana’s Broos wants six out of six at all costs in AFCON qualifying

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos is targeting maximum points against Uganda and South Sudan to kick off 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group K qualifying, even if his team have to win ugly to get the job done.

“I think it is very important when you play qualifiers to have a good start,” said Broos this week.

“And a good start is six points out of six. I will not be happy if we do not get six (points)…. we have the quality and the confidence…but that does not mean we will underestimate our opponents.”

Bafana v Uganda: ‘Intense physical battle’ – Broos

Broos expects an intense physical battle in Bafana’s AFCON game against Uganda at Orlando Stadium on Friday, but feels his side have learned enough to know how to get a job done, even if they are not at their sparkling best.

“You can’t always win playing good football and maybe this is such a game,” added the Bafana coach.

“I also know their coach (Paul Put) well, he is also from Belgium. He is a good coach. It will not be easy, but if we can find the right mentality (we can win), and we have shown before that in difficult circumstances we can count on the mentality that you need in such games.

“They (Uganda) are a very athletic team, big guys with big hearts, fighting for every ball…and it will not be different on Friday. But it is up to us to put up something against that. On a quality level we are the better team, but that will not be enough.”

‘Several solutions’

Broos was coy on who would start in goal in place of the injured Ronwen Williams, and on who would captain the team. But the Bafana coach did hint that he could turn to the players who have played more football this season, and so are perhaps more ready for battle.

“We have thought about it a lot …. Helman (Mkhalele) and me, because there are several solutions, not only with goalkeepers, but also with players on the pitch,” he said.

“We will have players (here) who have not played so many intense games.

“Players from Pirates and Stellenbosch have (they have competed in both the MTN8 and the Caf competitions already) and it has shown.

“With Pirates on Saturday (they beat Cape Town City 2-0 to reach the MTN8 final), you could see the players were already on a high level, and it was the same with Stellenboch (they beat Sundowns 2-0 on aggregate to reach the MTN8 final), that was the big difference between Sundowns and Stellenbosch, Sundowns were not ready.”