Connect with us
Liberia lost 2-0 to Morocco in their opening home qualifier which they opted to play in Casablanca, Morocco, in June last year and will start Friday's match against Bafana at the bottom of Group K.
Bafana are second on goal difference in the group because they lost 2-1 in Rabat against the Moroccans last year.
A win at the Orlando Stadium will take Hugo Broos' side to three points, with a draw in Monrovia enough to take them to Ivory Coast early next year even if Liberia beat Morocco by an avalanche of goals in their last match.
“That from the beginning we had only three teams [after Fifa kicked out Zimbabwe] is rubbish,” Broos said of the Bafana group. “This is not the normal qualification and you saw what happened. Morocco is already qualified after two games and Caf allowed them to play their away game in Morocco. This is only possible here in Africa. This is unbelievable.
“I knew from the beginning maybe those two games against Liberia should be decisive to be qualified or not. We have the opportunity to do it in two games. Why shouldn't we do it? I know it's easy to tell that than to do it, but I believe in this team. “I've seen the qualities [in Bafana] I didn't see a year ago. We're a better team now, but OK, we have to play the game. If we have a level we can reach we have to qualify. I'm sure of it. “But it depends on us and it depends on our performance and certainly next week in Monrovia. It will be an artificial pitch at a packed stadium.”
In the heart of the midfield, Broos should go for Teboho Mokoena and Sphephelo Sithole with Percy Tau and Bongokuhle Hlongwane operating on the wings. Kickoff is 6pm at the Orlando Stadium.
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
Would you like to comment on this article? Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now. Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Credit: https://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/soccer/2023-03-24-i-believe-in-this-team-says-broos-before-bafana-bafanas-2023-afcon-qualifier-against-liberia/
ENND
Uebert Angel, the founder of the Spirit Embassy and The Good News Church, has made shocking revelations that he has the authority to sign binding contracts on behalf of Zimbabwe in President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s absence. Angel was appointed as the Presidential Envoy and Ambassador at Large for Europe and the Americas in 2021, a move that raised many eyebrows from those who did not understand the nature of his supposed work.
During an investigation into corruption and looting in the gold mining sector in Zimbabwe, Angel spoke to an undercover reporter from Al Jazeera. He boasted to the reporter, named Mr. Stanley, that he had the authority to sign treaties or conventions on behalf of President Mnangagwa without consulting him. Angel even assured Stanley that his word was binding as a plenipotentiary, as he had signed deals like this before.
In the explosive documentary, Angel is captured calling Henrietta Rushwaya, President of the Zimbabwe Mining Federation, with the discredited miner agreeing to sell 100kgs of gold at a 4 percent discount. Rushwaya’s terms state that if Mr. Stanley wanted to clean US$10 million, he would pay US$5 to Fidelity Printers and Refineries, a subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. Fidelity would keep the money for the duration of the relationship between the parties.
The implications of Angel’s claim to have the authority to sign deals on behalf of Zimbabwe without consulting President Mnangagwa are yet to be seen. It remains to be seen how the Zimbabwean government will respond to Angel’s claims. The uncertainty surrounding the situation leaves many questions about the legitimacy of Angel’s actions as well as the motives behind his appointment as the Presidential Envoy and Ambassador at Large for Europe and the Americas.
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Credit: https://www.263chat.com/uebert-angel-makes-startling-claims-about-power-of-his-office/
ENND
Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit (I-Unit) conducted an undercover operation, during which Zimbabwe's ambassador-at-large and presidential envoy, Uebert Angel, offered to use his status to launder millions of dollars through a gold-smuggling scheme.
The 44-year-old offered to facilitate a scheme through which unaccounted cash could be exchanged for Zimbabwe’s gold, and the precious metal could be sold for legitimate money, effectively turning the cash clean. Angel claimed that his laundering operations had the approval of Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who appointed him as a diplomat in March 2021 and who Angel says has been in power since November 2017.
Angel made the offer during an operation that was part of Gold Mafia, an investigation into several gold-smuggling gangs in southern Africa, with Zimbabwe and South Africa as key hubs. These gangs have turned Western sanctions meant to target Zimbabwe’s government into an opportunity to smuggle large quantities of gold and launder hundreds of millions of dollars through a complex web of companies and bribes.
Zimbabwe needs dollars because the country’s own currency has lost its value in international trade due to hyperinflation. A commodity like gold is a good way to trade for dollars. However, international sanctions imposed on the country make it difficult for the government to export gold. Smugglers have seized the opportunity and have turned Zimbabwe into fertile ground for money launderers who can help the country earn dollars in exchange for gold.
Central to Angel’s gold-for-dirty money operations is the Zimbabwe Miners Association's president, Henrietta Rushwaya, who is also President Mnangagwa’s niece. She proposed that smuggling 100kg of gold each week would be no problem. The scheme would need an initial investment of $10 million of dirty cash into the government’s gold refinery, Fidelity. Once the gold is bought, it will then be sold internationally for legitimate, clean cash.
The gang also offered to help launder money by building properties near the tourist town of Victoria Falls, which Angel claimed would be appreciated by Mnangagwa because it would allow him “to cut a ribbon,” and build his legacy as a leader who brought visible infrastructure investments into Zimbabwe.
Tendai Biti, former Zimbabwe minister of finance, told Al Jazeera that although gold trade by law should be overseen by the central bank, the vast majority of gold is smuggled out of the country. He claims that the country is losing about a billion USD in illegal gold exports which is a euphemism for gold smuggling.
When asked for a response to Al Jazeera’s investigation, Fidelity denied all involvement in money laundering or smuggling. Mnangagwa, Angel, Doolan, and Rushwaya did not respond to inquiries.
The investigation has revealed how organized criminals manipulate political power within southern Africa and turn Western sanctions on Zimbabwe’s government into opportunities to smuggle gold and launder cash.
Credit: https://www.news24.com/news24/africa/news/a-top-zimbabwean-diplomat-offered-to-help-smuggle-gold-and-said-number-one-approved-20230323
ENND
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has questioned how the Confederation of African Football (CAF) allowed Morocco to play what was supposed to be their away Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Liberia on home soil in Casablanca.
The 70-year-old also raised the issue that Bafana's Afcon group only had three nations vying for qualification after FIFA banned Zimbabwe and Kenya over government interference in the countries' football associations.
The Atlas Lions hosted the West Africans in June last year for their Group K qualifying clash, as Liberia, at the time, had no international-standard stadium. Morocco cruised to a 2-0 win at Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca four days after coming from behind to beat Broos's charges 2-1 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Meanwhile, Bafana will host Liberia at Orlando Stadium on Friday (18:00) before travelling to Liberia for the away fixture four days later on Tuesday (18:00, SA time) in Monrovia, the Liberian capital.
"The fact that we are from the beginning only with three teams is rubbish," Broos said at Thursday's press conference. "It's not a normal qualification, and you see what happened. Morocco is almost qualified after two games, and they can play their away game in Morocco. This is all possible here in Africa. This is unbelievable. Ok, when Liberia doesn't have a stadium that conforms with FIFA rules, then you play in another country but not in Morocco, who is with you in the group. CAF said, 'ok, no problem'. They are already qualified after two games … This is not normal."
After beating both Bafana and Liberia last year, Morocco's path looks much clearer. The Atlas Lions only need a draw against Bafana in June to guarantee their name is seeded in the Afcon draw later this year.
Despite Broos's issues with Africa's leading association, the Belgian mentor is confident that his Bafana charges can pull off back-to-back victories that will ensure Bafana's passage to the tournament next year in Ivory Coast.
"I knew from the beginning that maybe those two games against Liberia will be decisive to be qualified or not," he added. "We have the opportunity to do it in two games. Why shouldn't we do it? I know it's easier to tell that than to do it, but I believe in this team."
Get the Sport Report every Thursday to stay up to speed with everything you need to know in the world of sport.
Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.
Credit: https://www.news24.com/sport/soccer/bafanabafana/bafana-boss-broos-calls-out-cafs-unbelievable-double-standards-ahead-of-liberia-clash-20230324
ENND
The 70-year-old Belgian is fully aware of this. He shared as much during his pre-match press conference as his team gear up to tackle Liberia in a make-or-break double-header contest. The team with the most points across the two fixtures will strengthen their prospects of booking a flight to Ivory Coast.
“The camp is going well. The boys are working hard, preparing themselves very well for the games taking place on Friday (24 March) and Tuesday. That makes me happy. We are conscious that we have two tough games to play. But I feel that the team believes in itself and the chance of [obtaining] a positive result,” Broos told journalists on Thursday.
South Africa missed out on qualifying for both the recent Qatar World Cup and the 2022 Afcon in Cameroon. During the latter failure, Broos was not at the helm. Molefi Ntseki was the coach at the time.
Bafana Bafana then narrowly missed out on a trip to Qatar with Broos at the helm. They were edged by Ghana on most goals scored in their group, after finishing level on 13 points with the Black Stars. The team are keen to avoid déjà vu in this regard.
“The first game is probably more important than the second game. Because we need a win. We absolutely need a win here. If we can go to Monrovia with a victory, we can go with three points and a good goal difference,” the Belgian coach continued.
“So, this is something we have to keep in mind. If we score the first goal, we don’t have to stop. Without taking risks, we can go for the second and maybe the third goal.”
During Bafana Bafana’s push for Qatar, the team accumulated the highest number of points since collecting 16 in a successful 2002 World Cup qualification push. They managed the same haul during their failed bid to qualify for the 2006 showpiece in Germany.
“We saw what happened in the World Cup qualifiers. If we’d scored a bit more goals, we would have been in the playoffs. So, we must try to win with as many goals as possible against Liberia. Though it won’t be easy,” Broos said.
Both countries have played one match apiece, with each losing to group favourites Morocco. The continent’s first World Cup semifinalists are thus in pole position with six points.
They are not expected to lose the reverse fixtures versus their two group mates. Which makes the clash between the South Africans and the Liberians that much more important for both of them.
“We are ready and we’ve prepared well for the game. It’s up to us how positive we’ll be as we look to secure the three points. We’ll try to score as many goals as we can. Because as the coach said, we remember what happened with goal difference in the [World Cup qualifiers],” said Bafana vice-captain Siyanda Xulu.
When he took over the Bafana hot seat in 2021, Broos said it was “non-negotiable” that his side should qualify for Afcon in Ivory Coast.
The team’s prospects of qualifying were bolstered when Zimbabwe, the fourth nation in the group, was removed after world football’s custodian Fifa slapped the team with a ban for political interference.
Now the permutations are simple. Avoid defeat against Liberia, and South Africa will likely qualify for their first Afcon since reaching the last eight of the 2019 edition in Egypt.
Please note you must be a Maverick Insider to comment. Sign up here or sign in if you are already an Insider.
Everybody has an opinion but not everyone has the knowledge and the experience to contribute meaningfully to a discussion. That’s what we want from our members. Help us learn with your expertise and insights on articles that we publish. We encourage different, respectful viewpoints to further our understanding of the world. View our comments policy here.
It’s hard to imagine South Africa without journalism. Then again, it was unthinkable that we would be without electricity as much as we are. Daily Maverick is free to read. We don’t have a paywall because we believe that everyone, regardless of their financial status, should be able to access the news. Which gives our journalism a greater chance of broader impact on society.
If you agree that our work makes South Africa a better place (and want to see us keep doing it) then please consider joining Maverick Insider and supporting our journalism.
You choose the amount and you can cancel at any time.
There’s a 99.8% chance that this isn’t for you. Only 0.2% of our readers have responded to this call for action.
Those 0.2% of our readers are our hidden heroes, who are fuelling our work and impacting the lives of every South African in doing so. They’re the people who contribute to keep Daily Maverick free for all, including you.
The equation is quite simple: the more members we have, the more reporting and investigations we can do, and the greater the impact on the country.
Be part of that 0.2%. Be a Maverick. Be a Maverick Insider.
There are many great benefits to being a Maverick Insider. Removing advertising from your browsing experience is one of them - we don't just block ads, we redesign our pages to look smarter and load faster.
Click here to see other benefits and to sign-up to our reader community supporting quality, independent journalism.
Credit: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-03-23-bafana-bafana-ready-for-crunch-afcon-contest-against-liberia/
ENND
Antoine Semenyo scored the winning goal in the sixth minute of injury time to see Ghana edge Angola 1-0 in African Cup of Nations qualifying on Thursday and stay atop its group.
Ghana remained unbeaten in the final qualifying stage with two wins and a draw and on course to qualify for next year’s African Cup in Ivory Coast.
The result at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi also gave Chris Hughton a winning start as coach. Hughton, the former Newcastle and Brighton manager, was a technical advisor with the Ghana team before succeeding Otto Addo as head coach last month.
Semenyo struck right at the end against Angola when he smashed a loose ball high into the net from close range after a Ghana free kick wasn’t cleared.
Halfway through the qualifiers, Ghana leads Central African Republic by three points at the top of Group E.
South Sudan also found a late winner in a chaotic finish against Republic of Congo. South Sudan was leading 1-0 when it had Peter Maker sent off, conceded an equalizer through a penalty by Thievy Bifouma in the 90th minute, and then won 2-1 after Tito Okello scored, also in the sixth minute of injury time.
Zambia came back from 1-0 down to beat Lesotho 3-1 and avoid an upset and Gabon stayed in contention in Group I after beating Sudan 1-0.
The latest round of qualifying games began Wednesday with a pair of draws. Sierra Leone and Sao Tome and Principe finished 2-2 and forward Steve Mounie scored a late equalizer for Benin in a 1-1 draw with Rwanda, which had Hakim Sahabo sent off with 30 minutes to go.
Senegal continues its qualifying campaign against Mozambique on Friday, when Sadio Mané is expected to make his return for his country after missing the World Cup in Qatar with injury.
World Cup semi-finalist Morocco, the new star of African soccer, doesn’t play again in the qualifiers until June after its two games against Zimbabwe were canceled while Zimbabwe is banned from internationals by FIFA because of troubles with its national federation.
Credit: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/soccer/2023/03/23/african-cup-of-nations-ghana/cd582f72-c9c5-11ed-9cc5-a58a4f6d84cd_story.html
ENND
Australia have salvaged a consolation prize from their tour of India, wrapping up a 2-1 victory in the ODI series thanks to a 21-run victory in Chennai. One man who will be happy to see the backs of the Australians is Suryakumar Yadav, whose dismissal at the hands of Ashton Agar marked an ignominious feat for the 32-year-old batsman.
India triumphed in the Test series before the ODIs began - and the one-dayers got off to a poor start for Yadav with a golden duck in the first match courtesy of a Mitch Starc lbw. It was deja vu in game two for Yadav, again sent packing on his first delivery thanks to Starc trapping him in front. In the third and final match, Yadav was again out for a golden duck - but this time after Agar clean bowled him, with the wicket coming at a crucial moment for Australia.
It was a brutal return with the bat for Yadav, who had failed to fire in his Test debut in Nagpur, scoring only eight runs in India's first innings. He didn't get another opportunity at the crease in that match after Australia collapsed in their second innings to lose the Test within three days. Boasting the unfortunate record of being the first Indian batsman to register three golden ducks in a row in ODI cricket however, is unlikely to boost Yadav's stock. The last player in International cricket to record the misfortune was Zimbabwe's Blessing Muzarabani in 2021.
The last Australian player to record three-consecutive golden ducks was Shane Watson, back in 2009. He's not the only Australian player on the list though, with Brett Lee and Andrew Symonds also making an appearance.
India lost their last eight wickets for 101 runs, as well as 6-79 in a devastating period. Zampa was named man of the match after claiming the wickets of Shubman Gill (37), KL Rahul (32), Pandya (40) and Ravindra Jadeja (18) as the Aussies won by 21 runs and secured a 2-1 series victory. In doing so they leapfrogged India and re-claimed the World No.1 ranking in ODIs.
"It's always fun bowling with Zamps," Agar said after the match. "We're great mates. We have a pretty good time out there. We usually have a whisky in his room most nights and discuss how we're going to go about it. It paid off for us today." Kohli appeared poised to guide India to victory, but his soft dismissal to Agar's bowling proved to be a critical moment of the match.
Agar clean-bowled Yadav on the very next delivery, while Rahul, Pandya and Jadeja were all dismissed playing expansive shots. "Ashton Agar, he changed the game," Zampa said afterwards. "I don't feel like I deserve this (man of the match) to be honest with you. For me to be able to do what I did at the end, it's kudos to the guys who bowled before me."
Indian captain Rohit Sharma said his batters failed to carry on after getting a start to "take the game deep". He added: "All of us were trying our best to go out and achieve that but it just didn't happen. Obviously a loss like this really hurts. But again we can understand what we need to do better as a team, as a group."
Fans were highly critical of India's batting display on social media. A number of soft dismissals came in for heavy scrutiny, with some labelling the hosts' collapse 'horrible' and 'awful'.
Sign up to our newsletter and score the biggest sport stories of the week.
Credit: https://au.sports.yahoo.com/suryakumar-yadav-makes-embarrassing-cricket-history-in-india-loss-to-australia-223301776.html
ENND
Money is the ultimate motivation and that is what Bafana Bafana are up against when they face Liberia in home and away Africa Cup of Nation (Afcon) qualifiers. According to South Africa's head coach Hugo Broos, the West African nation will collect a bonus if they defeat Bafana and secure their tickets for next year's tournament in Côte d'Ivoire. Where that bonus will come from was not disclosed.
"There are two tough games waiting for us," Broos told reporters in Johannesburg on Monday. "The efforts Liberia have put in in the last months shows their ambition. They have prepared a stadium that conforms to FIFA rules. The foreign-based players also want to play again for their team which was not the case before. And there is a rumour that they will get an enormous bonus if they qualify for the Afcon. They will be motivated so it is up to us not to underestimate them. We have more quality than them, that is not a guarantee that we are going to win but it is an advantage that we have. We are confident, we had four good (friendly) games in September and November."
With Zimbabwe banned by FIFA and disqualified from qualifying for Afcon, either Bafana or Liberia will qualify if they are to win both matches in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Broos was elated that Mamelodi Sundowns' stars arrived early on Monday morning, a day later than the rest of the players, after they played against Al Hilal in the CAF Champions League in Sudan on Saturday. The 70-year-old called up eight Sundowns players for the crucial matches - Ronwen Williams, Thapelo Morena, Grant Kekana, Mothobi Mvala, Aubrey Modiba, Teboho Mokoena, Themba Zwane and Cassius Mailula.
"Sundowns players only got back yesterday from their trip to Sudan, and we could welcome them today (Monday) before breakfast," he said. "I am very happy with that; it shows that they like to come to the national team and that they have a very professional attitude. In the past it has been a bit different but we were happy to see them and that they were able to have breakfast with the team."
South Africa host the West African nation on Friday, 24 March (18:00) at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, and play again four days later on Tuesday, 28 March (18:00 SA time) in the Liberian capital of Monrovia.
Get the Sport Report every Thursday to stay up to speed with everything you need to know in the world of sport.
Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.
Credit: https://www.news24.com/sport/soccer/bafanabafana/bafana-coach-wary-of-enormous-bonus-spurring-on-liberia-in-afcon-qualifiers-20230321
ENND
Omry Makgoale is a rank and file member of the ANC. These are his personal views.
As we mark 63 years after the fateful day at Sharpeville when 69 anti-pass protesters were massacred by the apartheid police under Dr Hendrik Verwoerd, the then prime minister, we need to revisit what they died for. Are the goals for which they died achieved?
An estimated 5,000 protesters marched to the Sharpeville Police Station requesting to be arrested for walking the streets without “passes”. The police panicked, and shot and killed demonstrators. The demonstrators’ crime was they dared to protest against the pass laws, the dompas – the identification document meant for black people only.
As we visit the graves in Sharpeville as an annual pilgrimage on 21 March 2023, Humans Rights Day, the question is how far are we from achieving the dreams for which the heroes of Sharpeville died for?
We no longer carry “passes” today and we have supposedly one of the best Constitutions in the world – except we have a flawed parliamentary Electoral Law. The current parliamentary electoral law as it has been since 1993 does not allow the citizens to directly elect their Members of Parliament by name, where they live.
The citizens do not have the right to directly elect their president, their premiers and mayors where they live, even though this right was enjoyed by whites only, under apartheid. For whatever reasons, current politicians thought that what was good for whites only under apartheid is not good for black people. The exclusion of allowing the citizens of South Africa the right to directly elect their Members of Parliament for themselves is the fundamental flaw, creating a “State of Disaster” in this “state of corruption”, as a result.
Since the dawn of democracy in 1994, the past 30 years have seen the decline of the SA economy, the destruction of rail infrastructure, destruction of Eskom, Transnet, Prasa, South African Airways, Denel, PetroSA, Post Office and water treatment plants, with raw sewage flowing into the rivers and beaches.
After 1994, Bantu Education was replaced with a two-tier education system – one for the rich and one for the poor. The rich and the ANC elite – which includes ministers, directors-general and tenderpreneurs – take their children to private schools, getting what is equal to the best education in the world. But the ordinary citizens, the masses, the poor – all are left at the mercy of the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) offering the worst education imaginable.
According to research by Professor Sarah Howie, the National Research Coordinator for Progress in International Reading Literacy Study South Africa, 78% of Grade 4s cannot read and write with understanding in any language in these public schools.
Under the current education system for the masses, a majority of the children are encouraged to do literacy mathematics instead of proper mathematics, with a worse still pass mark of a meager 30%. The members of Sadtu have been seriously damaging the country’s prosperity, living standards and our future.
According to a University of Stellenbosch report, some schools in Limpopo province even obtained a 0% pass rate in the National Senior Certificate exams in 2020. The respective education ministers and the education subcommittees have been a disaster for the country. It has been proven that we perform more poorly compared with Tanzania and Zimbabwe. How can we compete with China and Singapore, relying on Sadtu for our education?
It is the education for a failed state, open for takeover by the powerful in the world. Is there any benefit in having a highly admired Constitution under these conditions? What is the point of the Constitution if we, the people of South Africa, do not use the Constitution to demand a proper democratic Electoral Act so that we as voters can ensure the election of Members of Parliament we can trust, and remove them at the next election if they fail us?
It is our own responsibility to demand a new Electoral Act that gives us the power we lack – the power to choose leaders of integrity, by our own choice, in order to minimize corruption in society.
South Africa is collapsing today under the pressure of corruption with Eskom experiencing the worst load shedding in the country’s history, being run by cartels siphoning off an estimated R1-billion every month, according to the former Eskom CEO André De Ruyter. How long can South Africa survive? The police, the Hawks and Crime Intelligence are all malfunctioning; street lights and traffic light cables are uprooted and sold for scrap materials; potholes are gaping in the roads; and stormwater drains are blocked by construction debris and dead animals. What went wrong?
It is our own fault. We have allowed this to happen, and it is up to us to reform and change.
As we remember the heroes of Sharpeville, we remember them in darkness with load shedding and raw sewage flowing into the Vaal River.
To recover the country, we must directly elect our Members of Parliament by name, where we live. Let the voters of Sharpeville choose their MPs themselves. It is a right that the heroes of Sharpeville died for. The right to vote for their Members of Parliament, the right to vote for their premiers in the provinces and the right to vote for their mayors.
Please note you must be a Maverick Insider to comment. Sign up here or sign in if you are already an Insider.
Everybody has an opinion but not everyone has the knowledge and the experience to contribute meaningfully to a discussion. That’s what we want from our members. Help us learn with your expertise and insights on articles that we publish. We encourage different, respectful viewpoints to further our understanding of the world. View our comments policy here.
There are many great benefits to being a Maverick Insider. Removing advertising from your browsing experience is one of them - we don't just block ads, we redesign our pages to look smarter and load faster.
Click here to see other benefits and to sign-up to our reader community supporting quality, independent journalism.
Credit: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2023-03-20-thoughts-about-21-march-1960-did-the-heroes-of-sharpeville-die-in-vain/
ENND
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos says South Africa cannot underestimate Liberia because they are highly-motivated ahead of Friday’s clash.
Broos expressed his concerns over Liberia who he claims have been promised huge bonuses if they upset South Africa and seal a place in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
While South Africa are considered heavy favourites to win both games, the Bafana Bafana coach has called for caution, pointing to Liberia’s returning foreign-based stars, as well as the fact that they will be playing the return match in Monrovia, having hosted their opponents in Morocco last year.
Broos’ men are under pressure to win Friday’s match and get their qualifying campaign back on track after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Morocco on matchday one with the Atlas Lions top of Group K with six points from two matches while Bafana Bafana and the Lone Stars are winless.
The Belgian tactician does, however, have confidence in his squad and wants them to ensure they pick maximum points from the doubleheader before meeting Morocco in June.
“Their foreign-based players want to play again for the national team which was not the case before and I’m told the bonus they get is enormous so that means that we will have a team in front of us who will be motivated,” Broos told Safa Media. “It is up to us to not underestimate them even if for some people, it is just Liberia, but we will be making a big mistake to underestimate them.”
With the top two sides qualifying for the tournament, South Africa will seal their ticket if they manage six points against Liberia, given there are three teams in contention following the suspension of Zimbabwe.
That would make June’s meeting with World Cup semi-finalists Morocco less stressful for Bafana Bafana with only topping the group at stake.
South Africa head into the match after going unbeaten in their last four friendly matches, recording wins against Sierra Leone, Botswana and Mozambique while drawing with Angola.
Broos’ men host Liberia on Friday before the return leg in Monrovia four days later.
Credit: https://www.goal.com/en-za/news/money-will-motivate-them-is-broos-making-bafana-bafana-liberia-excuses/blt7e8eeaee65580321
ENND
