Hugo Broos. Picture: EPA/PETER POWELL.
Hugo Broos says his main target as Bafana Bafana head coach is to win the Africa Cup of Nations, and that he is happy to be ‘killed’ by the press if he does not qualify South Africa for the continental showpiece in Ivory Coast in 2023.
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Speaking to SABC Sport on Tuesday, Broos was blunt and to the point when asked for his ambitions, explaining that he does not feel he should be overly criticised if he does not make it to the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar.
“The only thing I have to ask is to have an honest chance,” said Broos, whose Bafana side will begin their World Cup qualifying campaign in September, but will not play in next year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon, because Molefi Ntseki’s Bafana team failed to qualify.
“After every decision or game don’t start criticising, we need some time, give me a chance to build something … when we don’t qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations, then kill me! Then I didn’t do my job very well.”
Asked for an ultimate aim as Bafana coach in the next five years, Broos said straight up: “win the Afcon”.
The Belgian 69 year-old has previous in that regard, having won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2017 with Cameroon.
“I am ambitious, but I like challenges, I know I have one and I am not afraid … we will have to work very hard, not only me but everyone, the players too, but I think it will be ok. I take the example of Cameroon, when I came there was chaos, they didn’t have a team, it was ten years earlier they were in the Afcon final and 15 years since they had won it.”
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