Broos looking to lift Afcon trophy with Bafana

Having felt the joy of lifting the Caf Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) trophy before with Cameroon, Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos wants to feel the same feeling again in Ivory Coast.

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Broos lifted the prestigious Afcon trophy with Cameroon back in 2017, in his first stint as a national team coach in his career having taken charge of the Central-African nation in 2016.

The 71-year-old coach is itching for success with his Bafana team at the 2023 Afcon in Ivory Coast, with the continental competition starting on 13 January.

“Yes, and for me it is still a special experience. Winning a big tournament and winning it in Africa, it’s a different mentality I had to learn. For me, it was a fantastic experience winning (the Afcon) five or six years ago. So, if you’re going to ask me if I want to do it again, surely I want to do it again,” said the Bafana coach.

“I’m looking forward to the games and the atmosphere. The total atmosphere of the tournament, you see everybody wanting to show how good they are and everyone is motivated and that makes it a very tough tournament. And it’s not only about quality, but you also have to be mentally at the top.”

With the team having reported for camp at Cape Town this past weekend, Broos says a few days off for his players before starting with the preparations for the tournament was good for them and they showed it during training sessions.

“The four days days that the players got off have been a very good thing. Before that break, there were a lot of players who were exhausted and needed four or five days off to spend time with their families and switch off from football. But when you are a professional, after four or five days off you need the ball. That’s what I saw at training, and it’s a good sign,” he added.

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Broos and his charges will travel back to Johannesburg on Wednesday for a friendly match against Lesotho at Lucas Moripe Stadium and head to Abidjan the next day.