Uganda can learn a lot from Hugo Broos and Bafana Bafana – Paul Put

The two countries have both qualified for the AFCON in Morocco next year, following South Sudan’s shock 3-2 win over a 10-man Congolese team in Juba yesterday.

The two teams played an entertaining 2-all draw at Orlando stadium in September and Put says Uganda can learn a lot from the work that Broos has done with Bafana in the past three years.

"He's a friend of mine and we respect each other. We played against each other in Belgium. He's made his name in Africa, I think also I've been going through a lot of things in Africa, so we respect each other a lot but the thing is with Hugo, he did a very good job,” Put said.

“He also has the confidence of the football federation of South Africa [SAFA]. He signed the contract of five years so he's been building this team for four years. So, you can imagine that he built a solid team in four years time.

“We hope also that we can do the same thing for Uganda, so in that opinion, we respect each other and we know each other very well."

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Uganda, who currently top Group K with 10 points, two points ahead of Bafana Bafana (8 points) are returning to the AFCON for the first time since 2019.

In 2017, coach Milutin “Micho” Sredojevic ended a 39-year absence from the continental showpiece, when he qualified the team to the 2017 AFCON in Gabon.

Put says it’s important to wrap up their qualification games in style in front of a sold-out home crowd.

"I think everybody wants to write history and I think that's what is in the mind of the players, from the coaches, everyone. We can see that our supporters and our public are more engaged than at the moment than when I started,” the coach added.

“So, I think they have a good feeling about the team and the team has a very good feeling about the supporters, and like I always said, without our supporters, you cannot win the game.

“We know that we can count on them, if you know that you can count on somebody automatically you can do your very best. So, it's very important to qualify because of the players, they can change their lives, they can change the lives of their families, a lot of things. I know an Africa Cup, I played four but Morocco will be very special."