Hugo Broos, again downplays Congo’s challenges as they finally land in Gqeberha

By Velile Mnyandu
11th October 2024

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has reiterated that they cannot afford to underestimate Congo-Brazzaville based on the challenges they have been going through back home.

On the eve of the third 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying game for Bafana at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, the Congolese team finally landed in Gqberha, but not without challenges.

SABC Sport understands that Congo only managed to leave Brazzaville yesterday morning due to some internal and immigration issues. But Broos doesn’t want to read too much to their challenges.

"There were a lot of things happening in Congo at the beginning of the week, I think we could make no bigger mistake than thinking now that, that team will be influenced by what happened and will not be ready for the game," Broos said.

"A professional player always wants to win the game, also those players from Congo. They need to win or they need to have a good result certainly here in South Africa to still have a chance to qualify, which African players don't want to qualify for AFCON? So, it's up to us to be ready."

READ: Congo finally arrives ahead of AFCON qualifier clash against Bafana Bafana

Earlier this week, SABC Sport reported that the internal strife between the Congolese Football Association (Fecofoot) and the Ministry of Sports in that country threatened the smooth running of football programmes, which the federation’s offices also closed.

But Broos says that with the two teams separated by only a point, Congo’s chaotic preparations will mean nothing in this game.

"I said at the start of this press conference that there were a lot of things happening and maybe for the moment it's a little bit chaotic also but again those are professional players and I said it already before, AFCON is the most important thing for an African player,” he added.

“Everybody wants to go to the AFCON, maybe even more important than the World Cup. So, they will be ready tomorrow, those players, maybe the preparation of the game was not ideal but on the other side they are professionals and certainly, from the start of the game they will be motivated and try to have a good result here."