Broos expects Zimbabwe to go for Bafana Bafana’s throats

Hugo Broos expects Zimbabwe to go in for the kill early on against Bafana Bafana in their opening Fifa World Cup Group G qualifier at the National Sport Stadium in Harare tomorrow (kick off 3pm).

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It is hard to know if the Bafana head coach was trying to play some tactical mind games with his Croatian counterpart Zdravko Logarušić ahead of tomorrow’s encounter, but Broos said that going for a fast start is what he would do if he was in charge of the Warriors.

“I know Zimbabwe will be waiting for us, they are our neighbours and have several players who play here in South Africa. It will be tough and I hope the team will be ready, we will maybe suffer in the beginning of the game. We have to survive and to be mentally strong.

“If I was Zimbabwe coach I would try to take South Africa by the throat and kill them from the beginning. It is something many coaches do and I think the coach of Zimbabwe will also try to take us on from the beginning … you know that if you get one or two goals the game is finished. We have to be strong and have to be ready.”

Even though Broos has been in the Bafana job for almost four months, this is the first week he has actually spent with the squad, as he was not on the touchline for a friendly against Uganda or the Cosafa Cup.

“I am very happy that I can start working,” said Broos at the start of the week.

“I have been looking at videos and getting to know the players, but today we start working (on the field) and this is important. I apologise if I don’t get the right name of the right player but that will come and it will become easier to work with them. But I was waiting for today!”

South Africa left for Harare yesterday with a squad of 24 players, with Kaizer Chiefs defender Njabulo Ngcobo added to the squad as cover for Mamelodi Sundowns’ Mothobi Mvala, who remains and injury concern.

“He (Mvala) goes with us to Zimbabwe and we will see how his injury is, every day it is better and better, but between that and playing on Friday, we will see … how things are going.”