Hugo Broos demands return to Bafana Bafana ‘DNA’ ahead of Panama shakedown

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos addressed the media at the SABC in Auckland Park on Thursday, after announcing his 23-man squad to face Panama this month, stressing that restoring key values missing at Afcon will be crucial to the team’s revival.

Bafana are currently in a transition phase. They headed into Afcon late last year as one of the favourites, following a period of growth that included a bronze-medal finish at the previous tournament.

However, their campaign in Morocco ended in disappointment. They returned home quietly in the early hours of a nondescript Wednesday morning at OR Tambo International Airport, where they were notably welcomed by Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie and a small group of journalists.

The team’s performances fell well below expectations. Not only were they eliminated in the last 16, but they also lacked consistency throughout the tournament, leaving fans back home stunned.

Broos faced criticism for his squad selection, with some calling for his dismissal. However, Safa – led by president Danny Jordaan – has continued to back the Belgian, maintaining that he remains the right man to lead the team to the upcoming World Cup in North America, extending what has been a promising five-year tenure.

The 73-year-old will resume work with the squad next week, preparing for two international friendlies against Panama on March 27 and 31 at Moses Mabhida Stadium and DHL Stadium.

Broos explained what went wrong in Morocco and why correcting those issues is vital ahead of future competitions.

“Firstly, you need quality. If it’s not there, that’s one thing. But if the attitude, mentality and discipline are missing, you can be the best player, and it still won’t help you,” Broos said. “A player will focus only on himself instead of the team.

“Those things are very important. We had them at the previous Afcon and during the World Cup and Afcon qualifiers, but suddenly we lost them. We know the reasons, but I won’t go into that.

“I said before: the DNA of Bafana was no longer there. We have to reinstall that because it was the foundation of our success, including winning the bronze medal.”

Broos has recalled several players, including Jayden Adams of Mamelodi Sundowns, who had previously been sidelined due to limited game time and disciplinary issues during his stint at Stellenbosch. Using Adams and Mbekezeli Mbokazi as examples, Broos emphasised that players can earn second chances if they show improvement.

“If you don’t have the discipline to arrive on time for meals, you won’t have the discipline to follow tactical instructions on the pitch,” Broos said.

“There’s also your attitude as a professional. What happened with Jayden and Mbokazi was not good, but they are back now and have learned from it.

“Sometimes you have to be strict to make a player understand the right way. When everything is not in place, you are not ready to play for Bafana. That’s one of the main reasons we didn’t perform – things off the pitch were not right either.”

While pleased with some returns, including fan-favourite Themba Zwane, Broos also expressed disappointment with the conduct of certain players dropped from the Afcon squad, including Sipho Mbule and Sipho Chaine.

“This is something between my assistant Helman Mkhalele and myself,” Broos said. “We evaluated Afcon a few days after returning and saw things that could no longer be tolerated.

“We also recognised issues we couldn’t fix immediately, so we made changes and brought in other players.I hope those who are not in the squad now reflect and ask themselves why they are no longer part of the national team.”

Bafana squad v Panama

Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams, Renaldo Leaner, Ricardo Goss

Defenders: Khuliso Mudau, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Aubrey Modiba, Khulumane Ndamane, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Thabang Matuludi, Ime Okon, Samukelo Kabini

Midfielders: Teboho Mokoena, Jayden Adams, Thalente Mbatha, Sphephelo Sithole

Forwards: Oswin Appollis, Tshepang Moremi, Lyle Foster, Bongokuhle Hlongwane, Themba Zwane, Thapelo Maseko, Evidence Makgopa, Relebohile Mofokeng

*Mihlali Baleka is Independent Media's senior football reporter and a panelist on the group's soccer podcast, The D-Line, which is exclusive on our YouTube channel The Clutch