Zim Coach Praises Broos For Transforming Bafana Bafana
Zimbabwe head coach Michael Nees has praised Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos for the impressive turnaround of the South African national team, saying managing football in South Africa is not an easy task.
Nees was speaking ahead of Zimbabwe’s FIFA World Cup qualifier against Bafana Bafana at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday (18:00) — a must-win fixture for South Africa.
Zimbabwe are already out of contention for a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be hosted in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, having collected just four points from eight matches in Group C.
Bafana Bafana, on the other hand, sit second in the group with 14 points, level with Benin, who lead the standings after South Africa were docked three points for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in their qualifier against Lesotho in March.
FIFA awarded that match 3-0 to Lesotho, a ruling that saw Bafana drop from first to second place in the group.
This means Broos’s men must secure maximum points from their remaining matches — including the clash against Rwanda at the Mbombela Stadium on Tuesday (18:00) — and hope Benin drop points to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
“South Africa is not an easy environment in football,” said Nees.
When Broos took over in May 2021, Bafana Bafana had just failed to qualify for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations. At the time, the Belgian coach boldly declared that if his team failed to reach the next AFCON, he should be sacked.
He not only guided them to qualification but also led Bafana to a third-place finish, claiming the bronze medal at the 2023 AFCON in the Ivory Coast last year — their first podium finish in 24 years.
“Since AFCON, the ship has turned around,” added Nees. “From a distance, it’s difficult to say exactly what changed, but of course, the coach carries a big responsibility.
“He’s in charge of the team, and we respect that. It’s going to be a very interesting match on Friday, absolutely.”
In the African qualifiers, only the group winners automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup, while the four best runners-up will have a second chance through the CAF play-off round.
