Broos backs Bafana to meet Ghana challenge

Hugo Broos says Bafana Bafana can expect a step up in class when they take on Ghana in a Group G 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifier at FNB Stadium tomorrow evening.

Nevertheless, the Bafana head coach is confident his side can get a result against the Black Stars. South Africa opened their Group G campaign with a goalless draw with Zimbabwe in Harare on Friday, while Ghana won 1-0 at home to Ethiopia to take an early lead in the group.

“Tomorrow is something different. We are playing against the best team in the group, they have good players, playing in Europe,” said the Bafana head coach yesterday, ahead of his side’s final training session at FNB Stadium.

“I have seen several videos of Ghana. It will be a tough game, but we have possibilities on our side. We don’t have to be afraid, we have to be confident,”

Ghana head coach Charles Akkonor is going to have to make several changes from the win over Ethiopia, with English and German clubs refusing to allow their Black Stars players to travel to South Africa, because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jordan Ayew, Daniel Amartey, Baba Rahman, Jeffrey Schlupp and Andy Yiadom, all of whom started against Ethiopia, are not available for the game against Bafana.

“Maybe in a position they are a little weaker but they still have good players. Even when some players are not there, they are still a strong team,” warned Broos, however, who confirmed he has a full squad of fit players available for today’s game.

These two sides met at FNB Stadium as recently as March, when a second-string Black Stars side visited for an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. Mohammed Kudus put Ghana in front, and Percy Tau equalised, but it was Ghana who ended up qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Ghana beat South Africa 2-0 in the reverse Afcon qualifier in November 2019, but both games were before the arrival of Broos, and he wasn’t interested yesterday in reflecting on them in any case.

“Every game is different, you can’t look to the past, if you do you have lost from the beginning,” he said.

“Those were two games for the Afcon and that is finished. Tomorrow, even though Ghana are a strong team, we will have our chances. It is up to us to take those chances.”