The poor performance of the SA senior soccer team at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco has unleashed a wave of discontent, dividing the country on the next step of action going forward. Bafana Bafana were bundled out of the last 16, going down 2-1 to Cameroon in a match that reunited coach Hugo Broos with his former Indomitable Lions side. After scraping through the group stages with unconvincing displays, losing to 10-man Egypt and producing anxious moments in seeing off neighbours Zimbabwe 3-2, Bafana were expected to peak as the tournament progressed.
With expectations high after heroics in the previous edition in Ivory Coast, where they finished third, Broos had taken the SA fans into his confidence that his boys would emulate the bronze medal finish. However, with the exception of the Belgian veteran’s often incendiary remarks, which rubbed Moroccan officials and the media the wrong way, this edition was the poorest showing for Bafana. It brought back the public disdain which blighted the team when Broos took over the reins.
But timing is what is ruffling feathers in soccer circles, with some even questioning whether the old man is the right person to lead the team to the World Cup in North America. As they say in football, a coach is as good as his last match, and all the good work the Belgian did to bring back the country to the major World Cup showpiece has been forgotten, with his acerbic tongue not helping matters. Broos has promised to submit a comprehensive report and review of what happened in Morocco, which he criticised for hosting a dull Afcon compared to Ivory Coast, further drawing unwarranted pressure.
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The report is expected to touch on his Cameroon pre-match media conference, where he complained bitterly about Bafana Bafana being housed in a hotel 45 minutes from their training camp. But CAF hit back, shifting the blame to the Bafana camp for not voicing concerns earlier when afforded time to do so. While any coach should submit a report after each major competition, Broos needs to be reviewed himself if he was at the fulcrum for the poor showing, including his team selection and formations.
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