Bafana Bafana legend Doctor Khumalo has pointed out a similarity between the tenures of 1996 AFCON-winning coach Clive Barker and Hugo Broos.
Khumalo was speaking ahead of the Bafana clash against Nigeria in the FIFA World Cup qualifier that took place in Bloemfontein last week.
He praised Broos for his continuity, noting that it reminds him of the approach taken by former coach Barker, who also believed in keeping a stable core of players.
He feels this is the most important reason for the team’s recent improvement, as it provides a solid foundation. He believes this allows the coach to effectively instil his tactical philosophy into the players he repeatedly calls up.
“When he came, he was not too sure about our DNA,” said Khumalo.
“But I think he got it right and he continued where Clive left off because Clive had a core of players that you would find in that team like 80% to 90%.
“And that’s exactly what Hugo is doing. So, he kept the core of players and probably one or two he would introduce because some changes are due to footballing problems like injuries, suspensions and maybe out of form from club level.
“So, you remember Clive once dropped me because he thought I was flat. So, it was footballing problem, but he kept the core.
“Hugo kept the core of the players and that’s the reason why his philosophy is adaptable by the boys and [it’s easy] to implement it. That’s exactly what he did. He understands the kind of players he wants for that particular game.”
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