By Dzudzie Faith Netshisaulu
South African National football side, Bafana Bafana, will on Saturday evening host Morocco’s national side in the final round of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at the FNB Stadium, and while “prestige” is at play, this may also be an opportunity to win back some support for Bafana.
Bafana has seen some massive drop in support in recent years, and this is of a concern for current coach Hugo Broos, who is looking at remedying the situation.
The 71-year-old Belgian international has been in the helm since 2021 and under him, and some years before taking on the hot seat, Bafana has failed to put bums on seat, and according to Broos, walking into the pitch and looking up to the stands and finding a handful of supporters may leave some players uninspired.
Speaking on Friday during a pre-match press conference at the FNB Stadium ahead of Saturday’s match, Broos highlighted the fact of the missing cheers from the stands.
“We have been playing in front of empty stadiums for the last two years and you need the public for an opponent like Morocco. Secondly, we have to win back the public with a good performance. Bafana Bafana is not popular in South Africa and maybe tomorrow is the best opportunity to win back the public and play well in front of our supporters,” said Broos.
Meanwhile, winning tomorrow’s match would a bonus for Broos and his squad as Bafana has already qualified for the TotalEnergies AFCON, the first one for South Africa since their last showing four years ago.
Kick-off is at 5pm.