Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has explained the importance of winning as they wrap up their preparations ahead of the two 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying matches against Liberia in March next year.
The South Africans will face Mozambique on Thursday before they play against Angola on Sunday. Both matches will take place at Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga.
After missing out on this year’s Afcon in Cameroon, Bafana must by hook or crook qualify for next year’s tournament in the Ivory Coast, or Broos will be as dead as a dodo.
The South Africans will be buoyed by their two victories over Sierra Leone and Botswana last month. They walloped Leone Stars 4-0 before wrapping up the Fifa weekend with a slender 1-0 win over Botswana.
Broos has set his sights on maintaining his winning streak against neighbours Mozambique and Angola.
The squad has three matches left in Group K after Fifa suspended and disqualified Zimbabwe from the tournament, leaving the group with three countries.
“Winning is the first objective,” Broos said on the Safa website. “That is the most important thing. If we can win twice again, then we have four victories in a row. This would give us a boost for the games against Liberia in March next year.
“Secondly, what I saw against Sierra Leone, I would like to see again, the same way of playing. Maybe it might not be as successful because I think Angola and Mozambique are stronger than the Sierra Leone team we played against in September. So, it will be tougher. I want to see that at last we have a certain manner of playing and we can get results with it. We have to prove it was not a surprise only against Sierra Leone.”
Monnapule Saleng and Kgaogelo Sekgota were rewarded with call-ups for their hard-work. Lyle Foster, who was removed from the team due to an injury earlier, returns to the team together with Kaizer Chiefs’ red-hot Njabulo Blom.
On-form Yusuf Maart was a surprise omission from the squad. The Pirates duo of Innocent Maela and Nkosinathi Sibisi will not be part of the team because of injuries.
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