Latest news with #BAFANABafana
IOL News
4 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Bafana Bafana international Lebogang Phiri shares views on youth football development
BAFANA Bafana midfielder Lebogang Phiri attendend the Gauteng leg of the Engen Knockout Challenge. | Supplied French-based Bafana Bafana midfielder and Engen Knockout Challenge graduate Lebogang Phiri recently made a powerful return to the tournament that helped shape his career. Phiri spent some time engaging with players, watching matches, and reflecting on the impact of grassroots football. 'This is not just another youth tournament. I don't think people always realise the gravity of it,' said Phiri. 'Tournaments like the Engen Knockout Challenge are whereyou get the next top talents and future big-name players. "It's where players learn to handle pressure, build big-match temperament, and get exposed to the type of support and attention that prepares them for the next level. "If a young player approaches this platform with the right mindset, it can change their career.' As someone who rose through the same ranks, Phiri understands the environment better than most. Beyond the on-field action, he emphasised the off-field growth players experience. 'The pressure is high, and the expectations are real and because of that, players learn respect, discipline, and great sportsmanship," said Phiri. "These are qualities you don't always get from just training or league matches. This kind of environment shapes you in every way as a footballer.' His presence at the Gauteng playoffs underscored the 2025 campaign theme 'It's Your Moment, Future Diski Legends', serving as a living example of what is possible when talent meets opportunity. Phiri's message to the next generation was clear: make this moment count, because the path to greatness often starts with a platform like the Engen Knockout Challenge.
IOL News
11-06-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Bafana Bafana's camaraderie leaves Broos with selection headache ahead of World Cup qualifiers
BAFANA Bafana Hugo Broos is looking ahead to the future with excitement after a successful Polokwane camp. | BackpagePix The camaraderie that's brewing at Bafana Bafana with every passing camp pleases coach Hugo Broos who now has a nice selection headache. Bafana's relatively young and new-look team completed an impressive international window at Peter Mokaba Stadium in the last 10 days. They hosted Tanzania to a stalemate in the first international friendly last Friday, before beating Mozambique 2-0 at the same venue on Tuesday night. It turned out to be an impressive camp for Broos and his staff as they had doubts about the team's unity after most players got their maiden call ups. But such is the continuous camaraderie between the Bafana players, who are usually rivals at their domestic clubs, Broos' fears were allayed with no time. 'That (urge to play) will bring the level higher - certainly. The only thing that I want to say, which is amazing, is that there are 23 friends. That is something special,' Broos said. 'I said it already before that it's not easy to be friends with your rival because there are two defenders, (midfielders), strikers and so on. 'This is amazing. After the first two-three days, the conversations started to be louder, laughs were louder and jokes were there. 'So that was nice to see as the coach because you know when that happens off the pitch, you can be sure that on the pitch you have a team as well. 'So I am pretty sure that on Friday and today (Tuesday) we saw that we have a team that plays for each other and tries to win the game. That makes me very happy!' Broos will be happier heading into the next window in September in which they'll face Lesotho and Nigeria in crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. By then, most of the leagues across the globe, including the PSL, will have have resumed for the 2025/2026 season, extending Broos' selection pool. 'Everything is positive about the past week, and this is something that will make my job very difficult in the next months,' the 73-year-old explained. 'When you see that there are 23 players there - you'll see that there are other 23 players who are either with their clubs or at home. You can choose between 40 players. 'This will then become difficult because you have to drop players in September - players who'll probably deserve to be there. 'But okay, I have to make the choice. That, however, also means that players will also be more motivated as they'll know that there'll be guys behind them, waiting to play.' The recent camp was largely made up of Orlando Pirates players due to the fact that their rivals from Mamelodi Sundowns are away on FIFA Club World Cup duties. Sure, Sundowns' troops have been the cornerstone of Bafana in the recent past, but their omission from the recent camp is not the only thing that excites Broos as he maps the future. 'When I said already that the job will bcome more difficult, there are Sundowns players who played a very important role in the past,' Broos said. 'That is not only for the Sundowns players - but little by little the team started to get older. I think when I saw the team selection in March, there were over 13 players over 30 years. 'So that means it's time, little by little, to get the team younger. What we saw now - which was important - is to see how the players will react when they play for Bafana. 'There are some players that we certainly have to keep. Okay, we have to drop others. But I have never been afraid to drop players. 'I think of the collective side of the team, and not the player. We managed to create a good team, so we'll try to do it now also - even when there are important games.'
IOL News
06-06-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Coach Hugo Broos is cautiously optimistic about Bafana Bafana's untried squad
BAFANA Bafana coach Hugo Broos says he has been impressed by the players he has in camp in Polokwane. | B ackpagePix On the eve of Bafana Bafana's international friendly against Tanzania at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Friday evening, coach Hugo Broos expresses his satisfaction with the latest crop of players in his squad. His comments come in the wake of the notable Mamelodi Sundowns absences, currently focused on their preparation for the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup in the USA. Broos, who has been at the helm of the national team since 2021, articulated his satisfaction with the crop of mostly uncapped players who have stepped up to fill the void. "This is an exciting time for us," he said. "I am pleased with the commitment and talent shown by these players. Their enthusiasm can only enhance the dynamism of our squad. "I'm happy with what I saw in the past few days of this new and young group of players, and not only what I saw on the pitch but also outside the pitch.' The coach acknowledged that initial hesitance among the players is normal, especially as many were meeting for the first time in a national team context. 'It was a little bit quiet in the first few days,' he noted, 'but I think this is normal. There are many new players in the national team; they know each other as opponents, but it's always different when you are in the same team. You see each other from the moment you wake up till the moment you go to sleep.' With the atmosphere gradually lifting, Broos is keen to unleash the potential of his squad as they prepare to face Tanzania on home soil. 'On the pitch at training, I see a very motivated group, a group that is aware of the opportunity they have got to play for the national team and a group that also knows that with the opportunity they have got now, they have to try and grab it with both hands,' he commended. Stellenbosch FC defender Fawaaz Basadien, the appointed captain for this pivotal game, is hoping for a vibrant atmosphere reminiscent of their previous encounter in the same stadium. Reflecting on that unforgettable day, Basadien noted: 'The last time we played here in Polokwane, we played in a packed stadium, so I expect the same, and hopefully, the turnout will be exactly like it was the last time we played here.' The clash against Tanzania will kick off at 19:30 and will serve not only as a platform for new talent but also as a moment of pride for the national team and its supporters.
