South Africa coach Hugo Broos said he was relieved, excited, and confident after making his World Cup squad announcement and now finally getting down to business as next month’s tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States approaches.
Broos finalised his 26 players on Wednesday for the tournament where Bafana Bafana play for the first time since hosting the event in 2010.
Broos gave an extensive interview to the media on Thursday, and this is what he said:
On the squad announcement and expectations
“First, I am relieved because the last two weeks were a little bit stressful. It's not the first time that I’ve had to make a final list for a big tournament, but this is for the World Cup, and we had to make some very difficult decisions. (Assistant coach) Helman (Mkhalele) and I were together. So we had a lot of conversations in our office over the last two weeks. ‘What do we do with that one, what do we do with this one, can we drop that one, can we take this one?’ So it was not so easy, and we had a few difficult cases in our group, like (Thapelo) Morena, who was injured, and (Aubrey) Modhiba, who was injured, so it was not so easy. Yesterday, at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, we took the final decision. And from that moment, I was relieved with what we did and what choices we made, that they are the right choices. I'm excited, certainly. Like, everyone of the 26 players and the staff, and all together, we are excited that we go to the World Cup. In football, it’s the biggest tournament, the highest level that you can achieve as a coach, as a player, and it's so long ago for this country to be present at such a big tournament, so I think everybody is excited to go, and everybody is also ready to exceed their limits, to have a very good result when we come back from Mexico. I'm fully confident in the choices we made, and in the team we have. I'm confident in the fact that those players have the talent and the quality to achieve good results at the World Cup. It will not be easy. We are in a group where the differences between the four teams are not so big. So that means it will be a tough struggle to pass the group stage, but we don’t have a big country in our group like Brazil, Spain, France, or Argentina. We are confident, I'm confident that it's possible to get past the group stage. And for me, the first goal in this group stage is to get, as soon as possible, three points. I'm convinced if we have three points, we go to the next stage, certainly taking into account that in this World Cup, there are eight third-placed finishers who advance from the group stage. It was tougher in the past because it was only the top two in our group. But now you have a chance to finish third and still go through. But if you don't have three points, I think it will not be possible to advance. So for us, it will be very important to have those three points as soon as possible, and again, I'm confident that we can achieve that. So, also, you need a bit of luck in every big tournament. You can deny that. But again, with the confidence we have in those players, I think we can achieve that. I think it's never happened in the history of South African football that the team got past the group stages. So we can write history and we are ready to fight for it.
On leaving out Thapelo Morena
“As I said, we made the decision yesterday afternoon at 4 o'clock. We knew that Thapelo was injured, but we didn't know everything for a decision on whether to take him with us to Mexico. So that's why yesterday, he had another scan and we had to wait for the result. So it was a little bit stressful. At 1 o'clock, then 2 o'clock in the afternoon, at 3 o'clock, still no news. The doctor was stressed because we wanted to have the (scan) result before we decided. At around 3.30 the doctor called me into my room and said, ‘Coach, can we see each other?’ So we were with the doctor, with Helman and with the physical coach. The doctor explained the medical report, and, yeah, we didn't see an opportunity to take Thapelo with us. He would not be able to train for the next two weeks, and considering that, I don't think that it would be good to take him with us. It’s not certain that Thapelo would even be ready for the second game (against the Czech Republic in Atlanta on June 18). So we made the decision that we don't take Thapelo. I talked to him yesterday, after we came back from the President's guest house, after announcing the team, and it was an emotional moment. Also for me, because I know that Thapelo is someone who can change games. He did it already in the past for us. He could be a very important player for us. Not only when he starts a game, but also when he is on the bench. So, also for me, it was a hard decision to make. But as I said already in the past, it's not my heart that decides, it's always my brain, and that's certainly the case for Thapelo when we took the decision yesterday.”
On the process of the final 26-man selection
“Well, I tried in the past days to give confidence to my players. When we came together on Monday, we had a little meeting with the players who were there, and I told them that the decision for me will not be easy. It is always emotional, also for the coach. Don't think that you have a piece of paper, and you just start writing the names. You are confronted with many decisions. ‘I have to drop this one, but I want to keep him, but it's possible?’ So there's always an emotional side, and I told the players also, ‘please try to understand my side of that. I have nothing against you, but I have to be realistic. I have to choose with my brain, not with my heart’. If I chose with my heart, we would have 32 in the squad. Yesterday evening, I gave the freedom to the players (who had been left out) to decide if they wanted to stay till after breakfast today or to go immediately home. So they decided to go immediately home. We had a chat with every player who went home yesterday, and it was not a nice moment. Also for me as a coach. But yeah, those are decisions you have to make. Decisions are sometimes very hard to make, but again, you do it for the team, you try to have your best team, and try also to make the right choices, and this is something we will know the moment we come back from the World Cup, if I made the right choices or not. This is for me, for the moment, are the right choices, but that is always something that is evaluated with results. And that we will see in the next weeks.”
On whether it was necessary to first announce 32 players last week instead of just naming the 26 players
“The fact I chose 32 last week was because Saturday was the last round of league games and there could always be injuries. And also the fact that Sundowns had to play on Sunday in the Champions League final. You saw Modiba was injured in the first leg.
I didn't want to have a situation that I had to take back players that I had disappointed before. So that's why we were named 32. And that's why it was also, for me, an emotional moment, to say to the players, ‘guys, I'm very sorry, but you are not in the final squad’.
On players being focused on the World Cup so soon after the end of the domestic season, without any break:
“You know, I can't ask from the players, certainly not for the Sundowns players, because they are in party mode! I think the last days were very emotional for them, celebrating and partying, and I have nothing against that. When you win the Champions League, I think you have to celebrate, certainly. So, I think they are not really mentally ready to focus already on the World Cup, and that's why there will not be in the squad tomorrow for the game (against Nicaragua). They will have another day’s rest, and some (Sundowns players) will be on the bench, and in the worst case, maybe they have to play 10 minutes if there's a player injured. They deserve some rest, also, certainly mentally. When you watched Sunday’s game (in Morocco), it was mentally a very difficult game. I don't know how many people were in the stadium, but they were all against Sundowns. I sent a message to the coach (Miguel Cardoso), after the game, and I congratulated him, certainly for the result, but also for how well he mentally prepared them for that game, because that was a tremendously difficult game. So I think that those (Sundowns) players need now a little bit of relaxing. And after tomorrow’s game, I think we have time enough for them to focus on the World Cup.”
On not preparing for the World Cup against European or Asian opposition but having four friendlies against Concacaf teams
“Ideally, we have wanted to face European and Asian opposition, but we also needed the right timing to play against them. First of all, can we go there? To go to Europe to play a game, we have to take into account how we would travel there. You have to see where you are playing. Is there a possibility to fly direct to Mexico (after that) or if you have to transit through another city? There was the possibility to play Serbia, but they wanted to play on 29 May because the 30th would not be possible because there's a final of the Champions League in Europe. But if you play on the 29th, then you have to go here already on the 26th. Considering that Sundowns were playing their final on 25 May, it was not possible. Secondly, there is also the financial side. Don't think that we will play against Jamaica (in Mexico on 6 June) and that we played against Panama (in March) for free. SAFA has to pay a match fee to those people. Argentina wanted to play against us, but they asked for five million euros. It's a lot of money. So then, sometimes you have to be happy that there is a game, and that your opponent is a good opponent. We had a proposition to play Cuba, but they are 174th in the (FIFA) ranking, or Belize, 180th in the rankings. I'm sorry, but I don't play against such opponents. So, then, suddenly, Jamaica was available, 74th in the rankings. Okay, that's a good opportunity. So, you don't always get the things you want, but I'm happy with the teams we play. And I'm also aware of the fact that it's only CONCACAF countries. But we will have a good game, and that's the most important for me. I don't think if you play once against a European team, that you know anything about European teams. The impact of one game against such an opponent is not so big.”
On the factors that go into team selection
“I think when you make a selection, you try to have a certain balance in your selection. Do we have height in the selection? Do we have players who are at that moment in good shape? Do we have players who are with us for the first time? That's the reason why (Brandon) Petersen is not with us. He only trained for two days with us. So I know him as a goalkeeper. Yesterday evening after we came back from the announcement, I said to him, ‘listen, I have to choose between three goalkeepers, Goss, Chaine, and you. I have to choose two goalkeepers. They are the same quality, so on what level do you choose and for me, it was the integration’. We have only one good training, and that was on Tuesday. And that was it. I don't know Brandon as a human being. So, in those two days, it is hard to know how he will react when he doesn't play. That’s why I didn’t take Brandon. It's not a question of quality, it's just integration. It is very important that all those things are taken together, and then make your choices, but sometimes, still, it's very difficult to choose between two players. So, again, I think there is a certain balance in our team. We have also height, which is very important. I’ve already analysed two of our (World Cup) opponents. You can be sure there are tall teams. So we need tall players. All these aspects go into choosing a team, play a role in the final decision. So now I think we have a balanced team. We will go on Sunday to Mexico because we need adaptation to high altitude. Also, the jet lag, eight hours time difference. I asked Olwethu (Makhanya) how he was coping with jetlag because he's coming from Philadelphia seven hours time difference away. He said, ‘Yeah, okay, middle of the night, I'm awake’. So you have to adapt to that also, so that's why we are going on Sunday, and I'm very happy again with the guys you're going.”
On the importance of 16 players from Pirates and Sundowns who have won a medal in the last days
“I think it's very important. First of all, we can say that we have players of the best team of the season. They are champions, and the other side, you have players of the Champions League winners, and certainly, that is very important. Those guys have much experience at a high level. I can assure you that Sunday’s game for Sundowns was the most difficult game in years. Not only the opponent, but mentally too, so that helps a lot when you have those players in your team. There’s a lot of experience, but not only that, we have guys who play abroad in different competitions. Sometimes better competitions. Pirates being champions now is a special feeling for their players, and I'm certainly happy that Sundowns won the Champions League, because I was afraid that if they should lose, I would get players who would be very disappointed. So now they all have that boost of confidence, and that helps a lot.”
On a better team than the one that competed at the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco:
“It was not the real Bafana Bafana team. Mentally, we were not ready, and a lot of things happened. Also, my problems with accusations of racism had an influence on preparation. Also, the mentality in the group was not what I was used to seeing. There were players who were not happy, because they didn't play and lots of ‘blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah’. I never saw that before. It was also maybe to do with decompression. We lived all together for one thing, qualifying for the World Cup, and when we achieved it, for me, too, it was like … ‘Yes, we have it’. And I think that was the reason why we had a disappointing Afcon. But I'm not afraid, not at all, I'm not even thinking about that it could happen again, because these guys are motivated, they know what they achieved, and they will also make very good results at the World Cup.”
On the influence of Relebohile Mofokeng and protecting him from pressure:
“I think the most important thing is to give him confidence. I talk to him more than any other player. It's not a long conversation, but little things. I do more with him than with any other player because I know what has happened to him over the last two years. It's not so easy. He came from nothing to be a star here. I'm also convinced that he is not still playing at his top potential. He needs a few more things, and I hope for him that he will get a transfer now to a bigger league and become an even better player than he is now. I don't think we must put too much pressure on his shoulders. He's still a young man. We have to protect him. But he can help us a lot, but again, don't put too much pressure on his shoulders. He's not ready for that, not yet. He can become a very important player for Bafana Bafana, but it's still too soon to put all that pressure and all that weight on his shoulders. I know that he needs some more power, he needs some more experience at top level. But with the qualities we have and the player he is, he will achieve that given time.”
On what he is expecting from his side at the World Cup
“I think we are at a point where we have to take our next step because, again, this is the highest level in football, the World Cup. You will be confronted with players who have more experience on that level than us. So we have to make that step. And I can't compare it a little bit with our first Afcon in Ivory Coast (early 2024). We lost our first game against Mali. And after the game, we had a debriefing and explained to the players, ‘Look, guys, what happened on the pitch. If you are going on like this, we will be home in two weeks’. The players understood the message from our side. And suddenly, we started playing differently. South Africa has always been a team who plays good football. But this is not enough. You need power. You need fighting spirit. You need to win games without playing good football. And this is what we learned at that Afcon. And we beat Morocco and we got to the semifinals and won a bronze medal. Now we are again at the point that we have to do more than we did up until now. So can we make that step? I think we can make that step and finally be a team that everyone is afraid of playing against.”