20 March 2025 – Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos says his charges will need to tread very carefully and exercise extreme caution when they host neighbours Lesotho in a FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, Limpopo, on Friday night.
Broos said some of the surprise results that have come during this round of qualifiers have highlighted that nothing can be taken for granted and no team can be underestimated.
“Everyone is fit for tomorrow, for this difficult and tough game. It has become a habit here in Africa that you’re never sure about victory before the game,” the coach said.
“We saw it yesterday in the qualifier between Cameroon and Eswatini, it ended 0-0. Tomorrow, we have an opponent that we cannot underestimate because they played in September against Morocco. They lost 1-0 in the 93rd minute.
“They played more than a year ago in Nigeria and it was 0-0. So, that means we have a tough game in front of us tomorrow. On the other hand, I think we have to also be confident in our own qualities. We showed that last year.”
Captain Ronwen Williams said the team faces a big week in the qualifying matches against Lesotho on Friday, and against Benin away from home in Côte d’Ivoire on Tuesday next week.
“The mood in the camp has been good,” he said. “If you can see the training, the intensity and the mentality we’ve had in the last few days, you can see how serious the players are. They know what’s at stake, you know. It’s unfortunate that some of the guys who are always here in camp are out injured, but just to show how special this group is, all of them send messages. I even received a message from Yaya Sithole yesterday just saying ‘Skipper all the best, wish the guys all the luck and love from his side’.”
Lesotho coach Leslie Notsi said they always look forward to matches against Bafana Bafana as there is a neighbourly rivalry between the two countries.
“Since we’re neighbours, there are those bragging rights we are always fighting for, if I can use the word fighting. But it always brings out that rivalry, the sporting rivalry, and we believe South Africa are the bigger country in terms of the socio-economic conditions. The domestic league (in SA) is also bigger than ours, but at the same time we always believe we can get something from the game when we play against them, and this makes the fixture interesting,” he said.
