Newly-appointed South Africa head coach Hugo Broos is confident that his Bafana Bafana can beat Ghana and qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Broos arrived in South Africa on Monday evening, a few days after being unveiled as Molefi Ntseki’s successor.
The 69-year-old Belgian has signed a five-year contract with the South African Football Association (SAFA) and has the challenging task of rebuilding a team that narrowly missed out on a place at next year’s CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The South Africans are in Group G alongside Ghana, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia and face an uphill task for qualification as only the group winners qualify for the third round of qualifying. After that, it is still difficult as the winners face off in a two-legged tie against one of the other group’s winners, which means that only the best of the best teams qualify for the World Cup.
Realistically, South Africa need to treat this is a showcase for the future and it should be Broos’ aim to find the team of the future that can lead Bafana Bafana to African glory before his 5-year contract expires.
“Everything is about results and if tomorrow there are no results you can say what you want, it is finished. We need to know that. At the end, everyone needs results, also me,” Broos told SABC Sport on Tuesday morning.
“I know Ghana very well, Zimbabwe is a very dangerous opponent and Ethiopia.”
The Black Stars are clear favourites to top a very competitive Group G, but in Broos, South Africa have a coach that has tasted success against the West African nation before and has won the AFCON as well.
Broos famously led an underdog Cameroon side to the 2017 AFCON title. The Indomitable Lions beat mighty Senegal, Ghana and Egypt on their way to lifting the trophy in Libreville.
“Every team can be beaten, but it is no guarantee that because I know how to beat Ghana, we [Bafana Bafana] can beat Ghana. We have to be ready for that. It is possible, why not,” Broos added.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers will commence from September this year after they were pushed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
