'Motivated' Bafana want top spot in AFCON qualifying group - Broos

CAPE TOWN - Bafana Bafana battle South Sudan at the DHL Stadium on Tuesday evening, looking to seal top spot in Group K of their AFCON qualifying group. 

Head coach, Hugo Broos, is targeting maximum points in Cape Town.

"We want to be first in the group and we also want to show something, if my information is right, to the crowd who will be in the stadium. We've had two amazing evenings in Bloemfontein and in PE with the crowd and the stadium with a nice win, so we will do that again here in Cape Town. That means that we are still motivated."

The Bafana boss was clear that he and his team won’t be taking South Sudan lightly despite already qualifying for AFCON.

"I don't like taking this game as a friendly game and you know when you start changing everything, that means that players may also feel that 'he's changing six, seven players' and I don't want this. What I said in the beginning, we want to be first and we will try to put our best team on the pitch."

The Belgian tactician revealed that their next target will be going full throttle in their push for FIFA World Cup qualification.

"After the game, the focus will be on qualifying for the World Cup and we want that because, not only us, the whole of South Africa wants to South Africa at the World Cup, so this is what we will try to do and this is what we will analyse in the next months."

Bafana captain Ronwen Williams spoke about the team’s mindset and confidence in their abilities.

"We've done well in the AFCON qualifiers now, so we're on the right trajectory and we need to keep it like that going into next year March and be confident and why shouldn't we be confident, we've been getting the results, we got experience and we've got the players now."

Should Broos’ men avoid defeat at DHL Stadium, they’ll set a new Bafana record – their longest unbeaten run with 19 games. 

The Belgian had this to say about records.

"It makes me proud when somebody tells us the statistics of the team, that makes me proud. For the rest, it's always the next game that's important and I think the figures are fantastic."

The Bafana coach reflected on his team’s journey after securing successive spots at AFCON, something he believed were non-negotiables at the start of his tenure.

"They looked at me when I said South Africa has to be at every AFCON and I meant it then and you can see that we can achieve it. It takes time but I'm a very happy man now and I'm looking forward to the games that will next year for the World Cup."

Broos also spoke about how this team and group of players compared to what he first encountered at the start of his tenure.

"If you compare the team from two years ago and the team now, I think there's a difference of day and night in everything, in quality, in power, in results, whatever you say, it's a big, big difference. We worked on it to make that team and again it was not easy, certainly not in the beginning."

The Bafana coach also touched on re-instilling pride in Bafana Bafana.

"We are now where we are and I think that everyone is proud of Bafana Bafana for the moment and you see by the crowd, at last they've found their way back to the stadium and that makes me also very proud to see that."

The Bafana captain revealed the team was full of belief heading into every match in their bid to perform on a consistent basis.

"When we go into a game, there's no fear anymore. There's many moments over the last few years where you can see the turning point is creeping in and many moments where you felt we're going back to our old ways and the coach had to nip it in the bud and once we get rid of all those negative things that sometimes creep in, then we start focusing, then we start qualifying, then we start doing well  and it's just for us to remain consistent."

Broos spoke of the impact the crowd that the crowd could have on his players.

"The moment the team is struggling on the pitch and there's a crowd shouting and singing, that gives you energy, that gives you motivation and you get over those difficult moments, so I hope we have that crowd."

The Bafana boss was adamant that he and his team weren’t underestimating South Sudan.

"We take this game very seriously. There was somebody who told me the last day 'you have a comfortable game against South Sudan'. Don't underestimate the team and if you don't have respect for an opponent, you can be sure that things can go wrong. I'm not afraid of that and I've let the guys know and I know what the mentality is from the guys."