Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos says he is still keen to meet all the Premier Soccer League coaches to discuss the handling and playing time of national team players at their respective clubs.

Broos publicly stated his desire to meet with the coaches upon his arrival in the country in May 2021. Still, his efforts went in vain as it appears that there’s no willingness to meet him halfway. 

However, the Belgian mentor says his attempt to meet with his PSL counterparts is still pending but acknowledges that the schedule is currently swamped both on club and international level to organize such a meeting. 

“From the moment I arrived here [in South Africa] three years ago, I wanted to see the coaches, ” Broos said. “We are three and half years later and I still haven’t seen all the coaches, it would be good if one day that meeting could take place. 

“I said it in the past, I attempted [to have a meeting] four times and it was swiped away so I will see. The schedule is too busy at the moment, also for the clubs to have that meeting, but yeah, maybe I’ll try again in a few months when things are a little bit calmer.”

Broos went on to state that a better relationship between the SAFA and PSL clubs could help resolve and address issues concerning the lack of playing time for Bafana internationals, citing Teboho Mokoena and Khuliso Mudau’s ongoing woes at Mamelodi Sundowns as an example. 

“The relationships should be better also, you can solve problems like this one with Khuliso and Teboho by calling the coach and asking him why [the duo isn’t playing] and how, to understand why he is doing such things. So, let’s hope that in the end, we can organize such a meeting,” he said. 

Though the 72-year-old coach would like to see improved relationships to better understand certain situations, he admits that he has no direct authority to influence the club coaches on their squad selection. 

“I can’t tell the coach of a club to play [certain players] but I can talk to him to better understand why he is doing it and that is the big difference, ” admits Broos, who led Bafana Bafana to a third-place finish in the 2023 AFCON. 

“So, now I only see, I read what the coach is saying in a conference and maybe we all know sometimes as coaches we don’t say things as they are to the media – it’s true I do it also. So, it’s better to speak man-to-man with the coach or during a meeting with all the other coaches, that can help.” 

Bafana Bafana will resume the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Congo at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Friday and four days later at Stade Alphonse Massamba-Débat in Brazzaville), with Broos aiming for all six points to take charge of Group K.