Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has called for calm heads as his side prepare to face Zimbabwe in their crucial 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier at FNB Stadium on Thursday night.
Bafana will likely have to win against a depleted Zimbabwe to stay top of the pool and head to Ghana for their final group stage qualifier on Sunday with their destiny in their own hands.
They will be favourites against a Warriors sides missing many of their top stars, but Broos says they mustn’t become complacent, or over-anxious, during the game.
“I think this is my character. I am not quickly nervous or upset. I re-evaluate things. I know it’s important to beat Zimbabwe but I know that there are other things important than football,” Broos says.
“But again, that doesn’t mean I am not ready to go for that game. As a player, I was also one that was very calm. It is in my character. But some players need to be nervous in order to perform well. When I am nervous, that is not good for me.
“Being stressed is normal though. But it also reflects on the team. But when you are working with a young team, it’s perhaps an advantage that you are working with a coach that’s calm.”
Broos admits it has been a rushed build-up for the game with the team only starting to train together on Monday ahead of the match three days later, before a quick turnaround in Ghana.
“It’s a totally different week than the other weeks. We are playing on Thursday and then on Sunday. So the physical training is not there anymore. We can’t do it. You have to keep the players fresh. The training is more tactical.”
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Bafana head the pool by a single point from Ghana, who play Ethiopia at the neutral Orlando Stadium earlier on Thursday. -Supersport
