South Africa’s national football team coach, Hugo Broos, has issued a bold declaration ahead of their crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria and Zimbabwe. With unwavering confidence, Broos boasted that his side’s sole objective is to secure their spot in the prestigious tournament.
South Africa play the Super Eagles at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Friday, before hosting Zimbabwe at home next Tuesday.
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“Let’s go to Nigeria and Zimbabwe, qualify for the World Cup,” Broos said. “Everybody knows that every one of us wants to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 2026, but we are in front of two very tough games.”
The Belgian tactician acknowledged the formidable challenge posed by Nigeria, the 2023 African Cup of Nations finalists, whose players ply their trade in Europe’s top competitions. However, Broos drew strength from his team’s impressive performance against the same opponents at the AFCON, where he believes they were the better side in the semifinals.
“If we had a little bit of luck against them, we would be in the final and not Nigeria,” Broos asserted. “I think we were the best team in the semifinals, we could have won that. So, we don’t have to be afraid.”
While recognizing the unique dynamics of the clash against neighbors Zimbabwe, who have a new coach following their ban, Broos remained undeterred.
“The other game against Zimbabwe is different. It’s a game between neighbors,” he said. “I think that Zimbabwe, after the ban, they have another team with another coach. So, from that side, it will be a difficult game.”
Drawing inspiration from South Africa’s recent performances, including their impressive display against Algeria, Broos exuded a sense of belief in his team’s abilities. Despite acknowledging individual mistakes that led to conceding goals, he remained focused on the overall positive performance.
“But if you see our performances of the last six months, the game in Algeria, where we did a very good game. We have to be confident and we have to believe in our chances,” Broos asserted.
With an unwavering determination, the South African coach set his sights on the desired outcome from the two crucial qualifiers. “The goal has to be at least four or six [points]. I don’t want to lose any of those two games. I want to win one and I want to have a draw,” he declared boldly.
