Will Mamelodi Sundowns lose important players Hugo Broos the coach of Bafana Bafana says that South African players are much sought after in Europe
Hugo Broos, the coach of Bafana Bafana, revealed that a lot of people were interested in the players on the national c
But there is growing interest in the South African players.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Bafana Bafana advanced to the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals for the first time in 24 years. However, a penalty shootout loss to Nigeria on Wednesday, February 7th, prevented them from advancing to the final.
Despite this on-field defeat, Broos claims that the players’ performances have piqued the interest of possible suitors.
WHAT DID BROOS SAY?
“They’ve shown something, and I felt that, along with the players, we wanted to show something, and those players now also know and the interest there is in some players,” Broos told the media in a news conference on Friday, February 9th.
“They now also know that this is the level they have to show their skills at, and I think they did more than we expected from them, they adapted very quickly to that level, which means they have quality.
“But, again, it would be good to play a game like this [at a high level] every week, and they will then become better – that is normal when you play against good teams on a high level, and you become better too,” he said.
“So, I’m extremely pleased that we played an Afcon like this and that we demonstrated that South Africa has good players, some of whom are of interest to other clubs, including European ones.
“That means that we did very well and those players showed that they can play at a higher level than what the championship is in South Africa [Premier Soccer League],” he said.
The Bafana Bafana lineup is dominated by Mamelodi Sundowns players, with national team captain Ronwen Williams making history as the first custodian to save four penalties in a single Afcon match.
His outstanding performance may have placed him among the players who have piqued the eye of possible suitors, as he continues to progress in his role as a custodian.
Williams’ Sundowns teammate Teboho Mokoena has also been prominent in midfield, scoring twice and earning Man of the Match honours.
Not to mention Sundowns’ experienced playmaker, Themba Zwane, who has been named Man of the Match twice in the continental tournament.
