Defiant Broos doesn’t listen to ‘trash’ Bafana critics
· Citizen
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos says he is not interested in “trash” spoken about him on social media, ahead of his side’s vital Group A 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier against Czechia at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Thursday (kick off 6pm SA time).
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Bafana’s Broos – ‘I do it my way’
Broos has come under fire following Bafana’s limp display against Mexico in the opening match of the World Cup. Mexico won the game 2-0, but it was more Bafana’s lack of ambition at the Azteca Stadium that infuriated the critics.
“I have been a coach for nearly 40 years and it is a side of the job that you are criticised. People have to know I do it my way and I don’t listen to the trash of social media,” Broos told reporters.
“I never listen to people who think they are important and have to criticise the team. I know what went wrong (against Mexico). We had a debrief two days after the game and the players know what went wrong. That is the most important thing. I will do it my way.”
The Bafana head coach did admit that he was not too harsh in his comments after the game to protect his players. And he has vowed that they will deliver an improved performance in a game that is realistically a must-win for both Bafana and Czechia.
“We know the mistakes we made in the first game,” he said.
“Some people said the coach was too soft on the players. But I don’t like to blame players on camera. Sometimes you have to lie a bit as a coach and that is what we did. We know what went wrong against Mexico, and we will try to improve on that.
“If we can improve when we have the ball, we can win the game tomorrow.
‘Czechia are a totally different opponent’
“Czechia are a totally different opponent to Mexico. They are a tough, physical team, so we will have to try and do something else,” he added.
“I have no doubt it will be totally different tomorrow, the game will be better, we will do our best and fight for it and see what the result will be.”
The Bafana head coach was praised to the heavens after he guided Bafana to third place at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and after he qualified the side for the World Cup. So he is well aware of the fickle nature of the game.
“When you lose you are criticised and when you win you are a king,” said Broos.
“Eight months ago when we qualified for the World Cup against Rwanda, someone said ‘coach, they should make a statue of you in South Africa’.
“I said make it out of wood so it will burn more easily when we lose. I am too experienced to listen to that, we will try to do the job as well as possible, and to have a team on the pitch to fight for 90 minutes. Even if we lose we will leave the pitch with pride because we did everything we could.”