Broos delivers scathing assessment of Bafana despite Zambia win

The final score told a story of comfortable victory, but the post-match comments from Hugo Broos delivered a far more unsettling narrative.

The Bafana Bafana coach, never one to mince words, offered a brutal assessment of his team’s 3-1 friendly win over Zambia’s Chipolopolo at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday, effectively pouring cold water on the supposed morale booster.

While goals from Oswin Appollis, Mohau Nkota, and Sphephelo Sithole sealed the result against Joseph Sabobo’s late consolation, Broos’s focus remained squarely on the lack of execution and intensity.

Broos Outlines Problem With Bafana’s Performance

Despite the result being crucial preparation for the 2025 AFCON, Broos lamented a general “softness” and a sluggish tempo.

“I think we didn’t play our best game today,” Broos stated on SABC Sport. “We were a little bit soft, and the tempo of the game wasn’t high enough in certain moments.”

The veteran coach revealed that his slew of halftime changes—which saw captain Ronwen Williams, Teboho Mokoena, and others withdrawn for players like Sipho Chaine and Khulumani Ndamane—was an intentional attempt to push the limits in what was their last major opportunity to experiment.

“That’s why at halftime we changed a lot… and that was not really good for the team,” Broos explained, noting that the disruption was a necessary evil.

The Silver Linings

The coach did highlight moments of efficiency, specifically praising the team’s attacking intent and singling out one player for special mention:

“The forward running, the forward passes, that makes us dangerous, and that’s also where we scored.”

Mohau Nkota was the recipient of rare praise from the demanding coach. “Yes, I think Mohau had a very good game. He was very aggressive, very quick, and also dangerous.”