South Africa coach Hugo Broos has declared that his team is no longer intimidated by any opponent in Africa, including the Super Eagles, whom they face in a 2026 World Cup qualifier on Friday.
According to Sowetan Live, Broos believes his team’s recent performances against top African sides have instilled a newfound confidence and self-belief in their abilities.
“The advantage we have now compared to six, seven months ago is we proved that when we play against those bigger teams in Africa, we can win,” Broos stated.
The 71-year-old coach cited South Africa’s 2-0 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying victory over Morocco, who reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, as evidence of his team’s capabilities against the continent’s elite.
“We won against Morocco [a 2-0 Afcon qualifying shock against the World Cup semifinalists last year]. And you saw what happened at Afcon, you have seen how we played against Algeria [in a 3-3 friendly away draw in March],” Broos added.
Broos emphasized that his players no longer fear any team, including Nigeria, Morocco, or Algeria, as they have proven their quality against such opponents.
“We are not afraid anymore because we know what qualities we have. So on Friday, we will go on the pitch and play our game. And we are not thinking about [head in hands], ‘Ah, Nigeria. Ah, Morocco. Ah, Algeria.’ No, we just play our game,” he said.
The South African coach attributed his team’s newfound confidence to their impressive performance at the 2023 AFCON, where they reached the knockout stages.
As South Africa prepares to face the Super Eagles, Broos believes his players will take to the pitch with the belief that they can secure a positive result, regardless of their opponent’s pedigree.
“We have proved against those teams we are maybe not as good, but we can maybe get a result. And it is important on Friday that you go on the pitch and really believe you can do something,” Broos added.
