'Oh sh*t, there are eight players from Orlando Pirates!' Hugo Broos rates youngsters & insists on refreshing squad - 'Bafana Bafana is getting old'

Bafana Bafana played to a goalless draw on Friday night against Tanzania in a friendly game staged at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.

The South Africa national team had to do without Mamelodi Sundowns players who are on club duty.

Khulumani Ndamane, Renaldo Leaner, Deano Van Rooyen, Simphiwe Salepe, and Mohau Nkota made their debuts.

Coach Hugo Broos was impressed with the players despite fans mocking the squad, insisting that Masandawana players make it better.

"We had a totally new team today, with players who never played together before; except those from the same team, so it was not easy," Broos opened up to the media in the post-match interview.

"I said before the game that the result is not important, and for me it was not. Certainly, we wanted to win the game, and we could have because we had some chances, but the performance was more important, and I'm happy with what I saw [on Friday].

"You don't have to underestimate the fact that if you bring 23 players together and select 11 to play a game, players who've never played together, that is not easy."

"Also, the opponent was not easy – a team that plays behind the ball and then try on transition to be dangerous, I think, as far as I can imagine, there was no chance for Tanzania today, nothing, nothing," Broos added.

"So I couldn't have asked for more, I'm happy with the performance of some players; even very happy [in some cases], there were others that could have been better, but again, for the first time I can't be too harsh because the goodwill was there."

“I remember that the first team we selected when the 11 were on paper, we said, oh, shit, there are seven or eight players from [Orlando] Pirates, and we decided that we are not going to do that. So we needed to find a balance. Like Selepe and [Thalente] Mbatha, they are used to playing together," Broos continued.

“So that helped those guys. Next week it will be [Mbekezeli] Mbokazi and [Nkosinathi] Sibisi. So we looked at that. So that’s the way we select these teams. The performance against Tanzania will give us more choices in the future, younger choices.

“I said before that little by little, Bafana is getting old. So we have to look at the future, and if you look at the performance from the young guys [against Tanzania], you can only be happy."

Broos further confirmed that those who didn't play on Friday will get a chance against Os Mambas.

"For once, I think you will know the team before the [match] already because it will be the guys who were on the bench today, so it's very simple.

"It's up to them now to also play as good a game as the team from today, and then I will be satisfied, and the reason we're doing this is because I wanted to see more than I know.

"You can judge players when you see them in the PSL, but here is still a level higher, he and if you can give them the opportunity to play without the pressure of, 'You have to win otherwise no qualification,' or whatever, it's a fantastic opportunity for those players," he concluded.

Mozambique are bringing an even tougher test as opposed to Tanzania, and Bafana Bafana will be expected to perform even better.

Broos is working hard to get enough depth with the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers and the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations coming in the subsequent months.