Bafana Bafana might have made it to the semi-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Ivory Coast, but their coach Hugo Broos somewhat admitted that his team didn’t play well against Cape Verde at the Charles Konan-Banny Stadium in Yamoussoukro early on Sunday morning (South African time).
Broos’ Bafana defeated the Blue Sharks 2-1 on penalties after the two teams had drawn goalless in two hours of football. Bafana skipper Ronwen Williams was the star of the show as he made AFCON history by saving four spot kicks during the shootout.
“There was a lot of pressure in the match. Everyone wanted to qualify. This match was unlike the previous ones. Our match was not so good, I think we played the worst game of the tournament of all our games. We played better against Mali, we played better against Namibia, Tunisia, also Morocco. This was not the team we saw in the previous week. I think for some players it’s a very new experience, and maybe the pressure and the nerves played a role today in the game,” the 71-year-old Belgian said.
After winning on penalties against Cape Verde, Bafana set themselves a semi-final date with the Nigerian Super Eagles at Stade de la Paix in Bouake on Wednesday evening.
“The semi-final match will be different against Nigeria, which has good players like Lookman. We will not lose focus. The players will be in good condition, so we need to rest and recover to start our preparation,” the former Indomitable Lions mentor said.
