Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has revealed the type of opponent he hopes to face in their final FIFA World Cup preparatory match in June, following their recent back-to-back friendlies against Panama.
Bafana hosted Panama in two friendlies, starting last Friday and concluding on Tuesday night. They failed to win either match, drawing 1–1 at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban before losing 2–1 at a sold-out DHL Stadium in Cape Town.
Broos was pleased with his team’s performance in Durban, but not in Cape Town. He stressed that they dropped the tempo in the Mother City during the second half, which led to them conceding goals from José Córdoba and Jiovany Ramos, while Mbekezeli Mbokazi’s cracker proved to be nothing more than a consolation.
Nonetheless, Broos was grateful for the lessons learned, especially against a Panamanian side that plays in a similar style to co-hosts Mexico, who will face Bafana in the opening game of the global showpiece at Banorte Stadium on June 11.
“This was a good test for us,” said Broos during his post-match media duties on SABC. “We now know the difference between national and international football. Again, I am happy that we played against Panama. We have to note what we didn’t do to win the game on Friday – Panama did that today.”
With Bafana now having a clearer idea of what to expect from Mexico, Broos hopes they will face either a European or Asian team in their final preparatory match, as that will give them insight into what to expect from the winner of the play-off between the Czech Republic and Denmark, as well as Group A opponents South Korea.
“There has to be another friendly in June. At the moment, we don’t know which team or country,” Broos said. “On the other hand, I would like to play either a European or Asian team – we will also play South Korea.
“We will see in the next few weeks. I hope that soon we’ll be able to confirm the opponent we’ll face in June.”
