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Broos blasts Rwanda pitch as Bafana prepare for World Cup test
'We don’t have to think about good, nice football, we have to think about fighting,' said the Bafana head coach.
Hugo Broos is concerned about the state of the pitch at the Stade Huye in Butare. Picture: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
Hugo Broos has said he will need ‘11 warriors’ on a patchy pitch in Butare on Tuesday as Bafana Bafana take on Rwanda in a Group C 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier.
The Bafana head coach is clearly unhappy that the the game has been taken to Butare, a long bus ride away from the Rwandan capital Kigali.
Rwanda also hosted Zimbabwe in Butare At Stade Huye in their opening qualifier in a game that ended goalless, while Zimbabwe drew 1-1 with Nigeria in their ‘home’ game at the same venue on Sunday.
“I am wondering why we have to play in Butare,” said the Bafana head coach yesterday.
“It is not only the flight from Johannesburg to Kigali, after that it is a three hour bus ride to get here.
“Second, when I saw pictures of Rwanda’s game against Zimbabwe here and their Afcon qualifiers, this is a very bad synthetic pitch.
“I think it is time Caf and FIFA made good rules about travelling and about stadia.”
Bafana won their opening qualifier at home to Benin on Saturday, to make them the early leaders in Group C. Their position has been helped by the fact that group favourites Nigeria have drawn their opening two qualifiers.
Only the group winners will automatically qualify for the World Cup finals.
A win in Rwanda will move Bafana four points clear of the Super Eagles, but Broos has warned this match will be more about fight than flair.
“Tomorrow we need 11 warriors on the field,” he added.
“We don’t have to think about good, nice football, we have to think about fighting.”
Injury worries
Broos added that there are injury concerns over central defender Mothobi Mvala, left back Aubrey Modiba and striker Evidence Maphosa for today’s game.
“We will wait for the last training and see who will be 100 percent fit,” said Broos.
“We can’t take a risk to put out a player on that pitch who is 75-80 percent fit.”
Broos added that he remains confident Bafana can qualify for a World Cup finals for the first time since Carlos Queiroz got Bafana to the 2002 finals.
“I am very confident … Sometimes we don’t believe enough in our own qualities. I have said already a few times to the group that they must just believe in themselves, and more and more I see that they do.”
