Former Bafana Bafana midfielder Benedict Vilakazi has given his verdict of the team’s 2025 AFCON campaign saying he doesn’t believe it was a failed outing but he would still do a restart with a new coach.
Bafana were eliminated at the last 16 round stage by Cameroon over the weekend after finishing second in Group B with six points. Hugo Broos’ charges went to the tournament as one of the favourites after their exploits in the last edition in Ivory Coast where they finished third.
‘Tso’ however believes that the players should look at themselves for being knocked out early as according to him the coach had a plan especially in the game against the Indomitable Lions.
“I put myself with the players to say we need to blame ourselves and not the coach,” said Tso on iDiski TV.
“I’m saying this because the coach did put a structure and he knew exactly what he was going to deal with facing Cameroon.
“How he planned and remember those 22 minutes actually the game was supposed to be finished by 22 minutes. The chance that [Relebohile] Mofokeng got, [Samukelo] Kabini and [Lyle] Foster, three chances that’s 3-0 in 20 minutes, the game is done unless Cameroon changed like they did.
“But looking at our side, I would say the tournament was not a failure. We did our best; there were moments where I thought Hugo Broos would really be in defensive mode but with how the game asked him questions, he had answers.
“Even though he was late sometimes with about five minutes, 10 minutes to respond he did respond. Another game that you look at against Egypt, when I look at that game, Egypt had one shot at goal the whole 90 minutes, the one that happened in the second half with the substitute.”
As far as the coach’s future is concerned Tso believes that Broos should be released from his contract, because his head might not be 100% in it anymore since he’s leaving and retiring after the World Cup.
“For me let’s plan for the next World Cup and the next AFCON because he’s going any way after the World Cup,” he added.
“For me coach, you did very well, you took us to AFCON and you took us to the World Cup – we thank you very much, then I’ll get somebody.
“This is not in a bad way but when a person says I’m leaving do you think that person is going to sit and have his best interest, as he is leaving come end of June/July? No. Let’s be realistic.
“Let’s forget about other things, he’s not going to put all his effort because he knows that even ‘if I don’t go to the next round of the World Cup I’m going. So why should I keep a person like that’.
“Already he’s going but if he wasn’t leaving then we’d say okay coach let’s fix. But if he’s going get somebody to say start now and this World Cup will help him to learn more in terms of planning for a World Cup, the criteria to select players.”
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