- Broos was heavily criticised for months
- But has managed two crucial victories of late
- That has attracted rave reviews from Bafana legend
WHAT HAPPENED? Bafana have won their last two games in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. They first edged Liberia 2-1 away in Monrovia to qualify for the Afcon finals.
They then beat Africa’s number one ranked team Morocco 2-1 last Saturday to take the lead in Group K. It was a big victory for South Africa who have been struggling against more established teams under Broos.
WHAT BUCKLEY SAID: “I was very happy [when Bafana beat Morocco] because you know all these months they’ve been criticised, especially coach Broos,” said Buckley as per Sowetan Live.
“[Some people are saying] that he is not doing this and that right. It’s just a matter of time before he had success with this team.
“I could see he’s trying to change things to try and get the national team back to the same level it was back in the days.
Next matches
“The game against Morocco was something which probably should motivate the players because they beat one of the best countries not only in Africa but in the world as well...they participated in the last World Cup and did very well.
“This should really give Bafana very, very high hopes going into Afcon next year.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Bafana are now under pressure to replicate their performance against Morocco in future assignments. Last Saturday's result was important in boosting the confidence of a team demoralised by struggles against bigger opponents.
The recent results give hope for the team ahead of next year's Afcon finals. Even Broos has been waxing lyrical about his team and is already dreaming big.
WHAT NEXT FOR BAFANA? The national team will look for opponents to play against during the September Fifa international period.