Sikhosana Warns Against Sacking Broos Ahead Of World Cup
Former Bafana Bafana striker Jerry Sikhosana believes it would be “suicidal” to change head coach Hugo Broos with just five months remaining before the FIFA World Cup, warning against repeating the mistakes made ahead of the 1998 tournament.
Broos, along with many South Africans, was left disappointed after Bafana Bafana were eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations in the round of 16 by Cameroon in Morocco.
Expectations had been high following South Africa’s impressive run at the 2023 AFCON, where they reached the semi-finals before losing to Nigeria. However, Bafana still managed to secure a bronze medal — their first at the tournament since 2000.
Ahead of this year’s AFCON, Broos had cautioned that it would be a difficult competition, noting that African teams had taken notice of South Africa’s progress.
“It would have been great if we had reached the semi-finals again like the last edition,” said Sikhosana, who was part of the Bafana Bafana side that lost the 1998 AFCON final to Egypt. “But for me, we must give credit where it is due.”
Sikhosana insisted that sacking Broos at this stage should not be an option, recalling how a similar decision backfired ahead of the 1998 World Cup in France.
After Bafana Bafana defeated Congo at FNB Stadium in a 1997 World Cup qualifier — sealed by an iconic goal from the late Phil Masinga — head coach Clive Barker, who had guided South Africa to the 1996 AFCON title, was controversially dismissed and replaced by Frenchman Philippe Troussier.
That decision proved costly. In their maiden World Cup appearance, Bafana Bafana suffered a 3-0 defeat to hosts France in their opening Group C match. They then drew 1-1 with Denmark, inspired by goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, before finishing the group with a 2-2 draw against Saudi Arabia. The two points were not enough to progress to the knockout stages.
Sikhosana featured only in the final group match, coming on as a second-half substitute for Benni McCarthy. Shaun Bartlett scored twice in that encounter, becoming the first — and so far only — Bafana Bafana player to score two goals in a World Cup finals match. The second goal by Bartlett was from a foul on Sikhosana.
“If we want to repeat what happened in 1998, we are going to sabotage ourselves,” Sikhosana said.
“We had the late Clive Barker doing well with Bafana Bafana during the 1997 World Cup qualifiers and early in 1998. Then Philippe Troussier came in with a different approach and philosophy, and that disrupted everything.
“So for me, we must hold on and keep the same coach. We don’t want to repeat the cycle of chopping and changing the technical staff.”
