BAFANA BAFANA coach Hugo Broos has begun taunting the Super Eagles. The Belgian claims Jose Peseiro’s team feared losing to South Africa in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON)
Broos humorously said, “The Nigeria coach was always telling his players ‘go back, go back’ like they were reversing a car!”
Speaking with SABC, the Belgium-born tactician however maintained that the Super Eagles are a different team with Finidi George as their new head coach.
The Eagles last played against the South Africans in the semi-final stage of the 2023 AFCON. The Super Eagles were led by Portuguese tactician Jose Peseiro. The team were able to scale the South African hurdle after a pulsating penalty shootout.
The match ended 1-1 at regulation time. The Eagles edged out Bafana Bafana 4-2 in penalties to reach the finals of the tournament. The Super Eagles secured a penalty after African Player of the Year Victor Osimhen was brought down in the box by Mothobi Mvala (South Africa) at the Stade de la Paix in Bouake, Ivory Coast.
Meanwhile, during the Super Eagles’ March friendly against Ghana and Mali, Finidi assumed caretaker leadership of the team.
According to Broos, the Super Eagles he saw in the friendlies were not the same team as the one that competed at the AFCON.
Like he did in the AFCON, the Belgian insisted he needed to figure out how to halt the Super Eagles.
We’ll attempt to startle them once more. It differs slightly from the AFCON team, Broos told SABC.
“They have a coach that thinks more offensively in Finidi George. Peseiro was playing a little more defensively, and I could see that in the game against us as he kept instructing the squad to retreat.
“Additionally, they didn’t really play attacking in the championship game; instead, they focused on playing strong defence in the hopes of mounting a counterattack or creating a scenario where they could score.
“The two games I watched against Ghana and Mali were different. They exhibit a slight increase in initiative. The group that went back and waited is no longer in place.
“We have to look for something now that we can shock them again like we did for the game in Ivory Coast,” the gaffer said. “They also try to make pressure early in the game and close to the opponent’s goal.”
Next Friday, Bafana Bafana and the Super Eagles will play at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo with the 2026 FIFA World Cup ticket at stake.
Eighteen-Eleven Media