Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos says he is crossing his fingers that none of the players he selected for the upcoming two must-win Fifa World Cup Qualifiers will pick up injuries this weekend in the Carling Knockout.
Bafana and Broos are bracing themselves for crucial matches against Zimbabwe and Rwanda on Friday and next Tuesday, respectively, in their quest to top Group C and book a ticket to the World Cup in the US next year.
South Africa suffered a major setback when they were docked three points by Fifa for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, against Lesotho on March 21.
With Bafana’s position now clear that they must win their final two games, Broos said that he does not expect any more setbacks and hopes that the Carling Knockout weekend fixtures will not affect any of the players that he selected.
“I am worried [about possible injuries] because there are still games being played, but I don’t understand why it had to be played now ahead of such crucial matches,” Broos said on Friday after his squad announcement.
“So, the risk for some of our players who we have selected getting injured is there on Saturday and Sunday. “It was planned that way, and I think it is a matter of money, but if someone came and told me that there would be no Carling Knockout games this weekend, I would be happy because that would mean none of the players would be at risk of getting injured.”
Previously, Broos had situations where he had to call up new players at the last hour to replace those who had picked up injuries. Amid the fiasco with Fifa, Broos emphasized that the situation is now beyond their control and should focus on getting maximum points in the final two games.
“If we win our two games, there is a big chance that we will qualify for the World Cup. So, the only thing that we must do is focus on the games and not on all the other rubbish, because that is no longer important now.
“We know the situation, we have been punished [by Fifa] and ours is to go for victories,” Broos added.
