The former South Africa international feels the current coach is building a new team of young players and should be given enough support
Former Bafana Bafana midfielder Sibusiso Zuma is confident “brave” Hugo Broos is the right man for the national team job because he is building a strong team around young players.
South Africa will continue with their hunt for a ticket to reach Qatar when they face Ethiopia in the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers with the first meeting set for October 9 at Bahir Dar Stadium in Addis Ababa, and the second battle planned for October 12 at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.
The South African national team kicked off their campaign in Group G with a 0-0 draw against Zimbabwe in Harare before they returned home to beat Ghana 1-0.
Editors’ Picks
It is behind this backdrop that Zuma, who played for Mamelodi Sundowns between 2008 and 2009, believes the team is on the right track under Broos, especially because of his confidence to give young players a chance to gain valuable international experience.
‘Let’s start afresh with this young team’
“I am 100% behind the Bafana coach. I like the fact that he is brave enough to give younger players an opportunity to play, [so] let’s give him a chance to do his work,” Zuma said as quoted by Sowetan.
“It is going to take time but we know that we have a group of quality young players in the country who must gain valuable international experience in the coming years, and a few of them are already playing overseas.
“Let the coach continue to work with these young players. Already we have four points in the World Cup qualifier group. We have just beaten Ghana, so let’s give him enough space to do his thing with these young players he is selecting.
“It is about time, we have looked confused for a very long time, and starting afresh is something that we need as a country.
“Let’s start afresh with this young team and build from there because I believe that we have the quality for the coach to work with. Let’s give the man some space to work.”
In the current Broos has selected youngsters like Luke Fleurs, Ethan Brooks, Terence Mashego, Evidence Makgopa and Jesse Donn.
Fleurs and Donn joined the camp on Monday as replacements for the injured Mosa Lebusa and Goodman Mosele, who opted against featuring and did not report for camp.
Bafana will head into the matches against Ethiopia without Al Ahly’s Percy Tau, who was injured during the previous qualifier.
Broos’ side are topping their group with four points from two matches, Ghana and Ethiopia are tied on three points but the latter have a better goal aggregate while Zimbabwe are bottom with a point.