No more chopping and changing: Bafana coach Hugo Broos confident he has found the core of his group

Though it has taken a bit longer than he anticipated, Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos is pleased he has found the core group of his team and can focus on helping them improve.  

Broos is in camp with his team as they prepare for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier against Morocco at FNB Stadium in Soweto on Saturday (5pm).  

This qualifier is a dead rubber as both teams have already secured their spots in the Afcon finals in Ivory Coast from January.  

Broos, who is in his third year as Bafana mentor, has been consistent in his player selection while also including new faces now and then in the past year.  

The Belgian tactician has often been questioned about some of the players he selects or leaves out.  

“It is something I wanted from the beginning, but again the search was a bit longer than I expected,” Broos said.  

“But now I think I have the players I want to work with and we have made progress if you compare with September last year.  

“Or even last year in June when we played Morocco, so the progression is there but we still have to achieve some things and progress in some things more.  

“But you can do it if you have the same players and you know where they can improve. That is nice for a coach,” he said.  

“The first year, after every game or every camp, you were looking at ‘oh, this one, we have to look for another because the level is not high enough’. I don’t have to do that anymore.

“I have to work with this group and make sure they progress. I also think it is best for the group because they know each other well on and off the field.”  

Broos has a full complement in his squad after the arrival of Percy Tau and Njabulo Blom.  

The game against Morocco is set to draw a big crowd with at least 42,000 tickets already sold.