Broos – Bafana need to be more like the Boks!

Hugo Broos has called on his Bafana Bafana team to channel the spirit of the Springboks when they take on the Ivory Coast in an international friendly on Tuesday evening at the Stade Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.

Broos was furious with his side’s lack of passion in a tepid goalless draw with Swaziland at FNB Stadium on Friday, but is hopeful his side will produce a reaction against the Elephants, in a game that should give the team a taste of what to expect at the Africa Cup of Nations finals, in the Ivory Coast, early next year.

The Bafana team watched their rugby counterparts on television as they beat hosts France in a thrilling World Cup quarterfinal in Paris on Sunday night.

“Yesterday evening we watched the other team of South Africa and saw their passion and way of playing, and there is a lot to learn about it,” said Broos.

“Friday was a very bad game on all levels (against Swaziland). The mentality, the quality of football, the passion, there was nothing.

“I think they (the players) are concious about that and I am sure tomorrow they will be ready again to make a good performance.”

Captain returns

Broos, who has confirmed that captain Ronwen Williams will be back in goal for Bafana after recovering from injury, said he expects his side to be naturally more focused against a side of the quality of the Ivorians.

“We have showed we can do it (turn our performance around), the qualities are there … maybe we underestimated our opponent (Eswatini), we were not ready from the beginning of the game. I am confident tomorrow it will be totally different, we know we are playing Ivory Coast from the beginning already will be more focused than on Friday.

“(But) I am not agreeing with this. They are professionals and they have to do it every game.”

The Ivory Coast are coming into this game on the back of a 1-1 draw with Morocco, a side Bafana, of course, beat in their final Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in June.

“They (Ivory Coast) are the hosts and one of the candidates to win the Afcon, they have very good players, playing in Europe. You can compare them a bit with the team of Morocco. We will have to be at our best, but we showed a few months ago in Joburg against Morocco that we can do it. So I am still confident.”

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