Hugo Broos demands 'the real Bafana' ahead of Panama tie

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has challenged his troops to replicate the performances that made them a force to be reckoned with ahead of facing Panama.

South Africa host the Central American side in an international friendly match at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday (19h00) as part of the FIFA World Cup preparations.

Having had a dissapointing 2025 Africa Cup Of Nations (AFCON) campaign, Broos has demanded to see the real Bafana against Panama.

“The only thing I want to see is again the real Bafana Bafana. The Bafana Bafana team that we know of the past three years that gave us so good results and fantastic performances, qualification for AFCON, third place in AFCON, qualification for the World Cup,” said the Belgian mentor.

The veteran tactician says his team lost their identity during the continental showpiece in Morocco as they crashed out in the Round of 16 at the hands of Cameroon.

“And we lost that a little bit three months ago in AFCON, so I hope to see that again, a team that plays with passion, that is determined when they are on the pitch, that plays good football. This is something I hope to see again,” Broos added.

Notably, Bafana will square off against Panama once again on 31 March at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town.

Hlayisani Magoro

Editorfr, en

Football journalist from South Africa covering African football news, exclusive stories and key events while sharing insights with passionate fans of the game.