Broos in last chance saloon

Broos in last chance saloon

While all of South Africa will be rooting for Bafana Bafana tonight to keep their Africa Cup of Nations dream alive, Spain look a banker bet when they face Scotland in a Euro 2024 qualifier – a match included in TAB’s Soccer 13 pool which is expected to reach R5-million.

By Mark Gleeson

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos promised South Africa would qualify for the next Africa Cup of Nations finals when he took over following the failure of the national soccer team to qualify for the previous edition of this tournament.

But as South Africa ready to take on Liberia in Monrovia tonight, his promise and their hopes hang on by a thread.

Bafana Bafana must not only avoid defeat, but record an away win to keep alive their chances of qualification for the tournament next January in the Ivory Coast.

Presumably, the 70-year-old Broos’ future in charge of the team is also linked to qualification to the finals, where South Africa last featured in 2019 when they got to the last eight in Egypt.

Key to potential South African success tonight will be good old-fashioned heart - and there must be concern that the young team that Broos has picked lacks a fighting spirit. Twenty years ago, when the team was at the height of its prowess, they secured qualification for the 2002 Cup of Nations finals by beating Liberia at home and drawing away, in difficult circumstances. Travel was arduous and the humid weather energy sapping, but the team gritted their teeth and got on with making sure of qualification for the tournament in Mali.

Tonight is the last night of the fourth round of Cup of Nations qualifying, with two rounds to come in June and September before the final line-up of 24 teams is settled.

Tonight also marks the end of the second round of qualifiers for the European Championship, with Georgia and Scotland looking for home upsets against Norway and Spain respectively. They are all in the same group with Spain the favourites but with the runners-up berth wide open.

Club football returns at the weekend with the focus in the DStv Premiership continuing to be on the race for second place, especially as runaway leaders Mamelodi Sundowns will be completing their African Champions League group campaign with a home match on Saturday.

SuperSport still have a two-point advantage in second place over Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, despite losing to the Buccaneers in their last outing before the international break.

SuperSport have tough game on Saturday at Chippa United while Pirates play away at Richards Bay, who were among the early season frontrunners but have now slipped down to sixth after losing six successive games.

Chiefs are at home but will not be relishing going up against Stellenbosch FC, who are on a seven-match unbeaten run.