Hugo Broos can’t blame lack of Europe-based stars for Bafana’s Afcon exit
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos shakes hands with Cameroon's David Pagou after their Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 football match on Sunday.
Image: Paul Ellis/AFP
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has made his bed – now he must lie in it.
After Bafana’s round-of-16 exit from the Africa Cup of Nations, Broos complained about the lack of international players available to him and questioned the standard of South Africa’s PSL.
“When you see all the teams (we faced), those are teams with players who play in Europe. We don’t have them and that is the disadvantage for South Africa,” the Belgian was quoted by Hollywoodbets following Bafana’s 2-1 loss to Cameroon, a side that failed to qualify for the World Cup.
He went on to add: “This is the opportunity that our players need to have because they have to be challenged more, and I said from the beginning the level of the PSL compared to the level that we had in the last weeks is very big.”
Those complaints ring hollow when Broos has continued to overlook the likes of Bongokuhle Hlongwane and Olwethu Makhanya, both of whom have performed consistently in Major League Soccer in the United States.
Hlongwane has regularly found the back of the net for Minnesota United and has shown an ability to adapt, even playing out of position when his team needs him.
Makhanya, meanwhile, has been an important figure for Philadelphia Union and was ever-present as they claimed the MLS Supporters’ Shield under the guidance of former Kaizer Chiefs player Bradley Carnell.
Broos has insisted time and again that the MLS is not among the strongest leagues. It is a view he repeated ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations last month after Mbekezeli Mbokazi completed a move to Chicago Fire.
According to the Opta Analyst Power Rankings, the MLS is rated as the 10th strongest league in world football, ahead of countries like Denmark, Argentina, and the Netherlands. That immediately throws his argument out of the window.
To be fair, Broos is not entirely without a point. History shows that teams who win the Africa Cup of Nations are often dominated by players based in Europe, hardened by the weekly demands of elite competitions and exposure to different tactical and physical challenges. That experience does matter at the sharp end of major tournaments.
However, this reality does not diminish the standing of the PSL, which remains one of the strongest and most competitive leagues on the African continent. While many African footballers dream of Europe, there are countless others who hold the PSL in high regard and harbour genuine ambitions of playing in it, which is a reflection of its quality, visibility, and continental relevance.
Even so, Broos’s criticism of the PSL’s standard does not fully stand up to scrutiny. When he guided Bafana Bafana to third place at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, and when he led the team to World Cup qualification, he did so with a squad that was largely domestic-based.
Furthermore, South African clubs such as Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates have continued to compete effectively in continental competitions. That evidence suggests the Betway Premiership remains a healthy league, capable of producing players who can compete beyond South Africa’s borders.
In the end, Broos cannot lament the absence of Europe-based players while simultaneously dismissing or ignoring South Africans who have proven themselves outside the PSL. If the standard of the local league is truly the issue, then the solution lies in widening the net, not narrowing it.
Bafana Bafana’s limitations are no longer structural or unavoidable – they are increasingly self-inflicted. Having set his criteria so rigidly, Broos has removed his margin for excuses. Results, and selection choices, will now speak louder than his complaints.
IOL Sport
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