Bafana’s Broos welcomes fans’ return to stadiums

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has welcomed the news that football supporters can fill South African stadiums to half their capacity, following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address on Tuesday evening.

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Broos is currently in France with his Bafana squad for friendlies against Guinea and France. Bafana will play in front of fans against Guinea across the French border in Kortrijk, Belgium tomorrow, while the Bafana coach believes a capacity crowd will be present to see the world champions take on Bafana in Lille on Tuesday.

Bafana already played in front of 2000 fans, when they took on Zimbabwe at FNB Stadium in World Cup qualifying, and should have plenty more supporters behind them when the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers kick off in June.

“Let’s hope after two years we can see supporters in the Stadium. The supporters already made a difference against Zimbabwe,” said Broos.

“It creates an atmosphere, when 20 000 people are shouting for you it gives you motivation and energy, when there is a bad period in the game, when you are supported (it is better). Also for a coach, it gives you motivation.”

Visa issues meant that the whole squad did not arrive in camp together on Tuesday morning, with Orlando Pirates’ Goodman Mosele and Bandile Shandu only arriving later on Tuesday, while four more players were expected yesterday morning.

“It was a bit unlucky because every player had to present at the (French) Embassy, and Monday was a public holiday (in South Africa),” added Broos.

“But it is not really a problem. As I said, I will give a chance to every player to play, so those who will play on Friday (against Guinea) are all here, except for a few).”

While there is obvious excitement about taking on France on their own patch, Guinea will represent extremely tricky opposition tomorrow, even in the absence of their star midfielder Naby Keita, the Liverpool midfielder pulling out of the squad with an injury.

Guinea, indeed, have had seven of their original 23-man squad pull out through injury, but still have a squad of players based entirely in Europe, including AS Roma midfielder Amadou Diawara, and 19 year-old Ilaix Moriba, who was on the books of FC Barcelona, and is now on loan at Valencia from RB Leipzig.

Syli National, as they are know, qualified for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, though they didn’t have the best tournament, winning just once game, against Malawi, and losing to Zimbabwe in the group stages before being beaten 1-0 by Gambia in the last 16.

Guinea, who will play Zambia after they take on Bafana, also failed to win a single game in the group stages of qualifying for the 2022 Fifa World Cup.