Bafana legend Siyabonga Nomvethe is backing Hugo Broos to find the right mix of speed and experience for the 2026 World Cup opener at Estadio Azteca. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
Bafana Bafana legend Siyabonga Nomvethe has backed coach Hugo Broos to select the best players for the upcoming Fifa World Cup, while noting that hunger and experience will be key for the tournament.
Tuesday at 8pm marked the tick over to 30 days before Bafana get their World Cup campaign underway against Mexico in the opening game of the tournament at Estadio Azteca on June 11 – a repeat of the 2010 opening match in South Africa. Bafana will be underdogs, given that the co-hosts, along with the US and Canada, are set to have their 12th man behind them and superior depth.
Bafana are, however, expected to hold their own. The South Africans didn’t get to the tournament by chance; they finished top of their qualifying group, which included rivals Nigeria, while building on a foundation that had seen them qualify for back-to-back Afcons.
Bafana’s growth would not have been possible without Broos. The Belgian, who celebrated his fifth year as Bafana coach this month, has awakened a sleeping giant through hard work and discipline.
With Broos preparing to announce his final squad for the World Cup later this month, Nomvethe — a member of the 2010 Bafana squad — has backed the 73-year-old to select the best players for the job.
“The coach knows his players, how he’ll select them and who is important in his team,” Nomvethe said, in an exclusive interview with Independent Media. “He has already conducted introspection from the first day of the season to see whom he can select and how to finalise the squad.
“It’s not for us to decide for the coach. It’s really up to him how closely he monitors his players and finalises his squad. All that’s left for us is to support him and hope for the best.”
Broos must select his final squad by June 1, with the congested local league concluding on 23 May. His troops are expected to assemble for camp on 25 May to prepare for a final FIFA international window, before the start of the World Cup.
The Belgian emphasised in the last camp that he already had 70% of the squad selected, as he plans to reward consistent and loyal players. However, there have been concerns about his striking unit, which mainly consists of Evidence Makgopa and Lyle Foster.
Makgopa and Foster are almost identical, with their strength in holding up play and allowing frontrunners to cover space. They have also had below-par seasons: Makgopa scored six goals and registered two assists in 26 games, while Foster netted three times and assisted three times in 27 games.
“He’s been working with them (Makgopa and Foster). So, it’s really for him to assess what he can add, considering we have 16 teams in the league and players in European leagues,” Nomvethe said.
“He should already have looked at another quality striker to add to the team if he decides not to stick with the players he currently has. There are a lot of players available, but you need someone with a strong mentality who will fight for everything. The competition is tough at the World Cup because most players are playing for bigger teams.”
A prolific and mobile striker during his heyday, Nomvethe etched his name in the history books by becoming the oldest Bafana striker to play at the World Cup at 32-years old in 2010. It was his second World Cup, following his 2002 participation.
Given his history, Nomvethe feels Broos could use players with similar traits to his own, such as Iqraam Rayners and Thembinkosi Lorch (who’s based in Libya).
“The World Cup needs speed — players with mobility and strength,” he said. “If you are unable to match those qualities, you’ll struggle. We have a lot of players competing in Africa, and they are strong enough to grab this opportunity with both hands.”
Nomvethe also knows that it will take more than speed and goals to help Bafana reach the knockout stage for the first time at the World Cup. As such, he’s banking on the experience of players who’ve competed in continental football this season.
“You’ve also seen that players from teams such as Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs, and Stellenbosch have played in continental competitions, and that’s very good,” he said. “They test their mental strength when playing in such tournaments.”
Nomvethe, known as “Bhele,” and his 2010 teammates will also get a taste of the upcoming World Cup when they face their original opening game opponents, Mexico, in a refresher and dress rehearsal match in Mexico on 8 June.
This is part of a partnership between the South African Minister of Sport, Gayton McKenzie, and his Mexican counterpart Rommel Pacheco to ensure that the opening game of the global showpiece relives the memories of 16 years ago and generates hype for this year’s encounter.
Nomvethe is pleased to be part of the initiative, saying they will ensure their exploits motivate the current squad to be fearless and go for the jugular in front of a buzzing and intimidating atmosphere.
“It will be exciting,” he said. “It’s important as former players to also be part of the World Cup and face teams we have played against before, especially in a repeat of the 2010 World Cup opening game.
"The boys are also going to play in the opening game, so we’ll motivate them. If we perform and beat them, it will send a message to the team that nothing is impossible.”