(Photo by Daniel Hlongwane/Gallo Images)
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has hit back at critics questioning the decision to host South Africa’s crucial FIFA World Cup qualifier against Nigeria at Free State Stadium, dismissing claims that the venue was chosen to unsettle the Super Eagles.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s high-stakes Group C clash, Broos addressed growing concerns over the condition of the Bloemfontein pitch, which has come under scrutiny following last week’s fixture against Lesotho.
Read: Appollis: South Africa Should Be Grateful For Broos
“I said already before, I’m not happy with the pitch either. There were people who blamed me that I didn’t want to play here. This is stupid,” Broos said bluntly.
The Belgian tactician made it clear that the decision to play in Bloemfontein was not his own, and that the pitch quality was far from ideal, but not bad enough to derail the match.
“All the qualifiers we played, we played on very good pitches. Okay, this one is not so good. There is no reason why we play here against Nigeria because the pitch is not good. This is nonsense.”
Broos also clarified that the Lesotho match, played at the same venue last Friday, was not scheduled by Bafana but by the opposition, who were technically the home team.
“We played Friday also on this pitch, and that was not our choice. That was Lesotho, who was a home team.”
Read: Bafana vs Nigeria: Group C Battle Heats Up In WC Qualifiers
Despite the criticism, Broos remained pragmatic, acknowledging that while the surface isn’t up to the standard of previous qualifiers, it’s a shared challenge for both teams.
“It’s not what it has to be, but okay, it’s for both teams. It’s also for us, so yeah. We have to play the game tomorrow, and that’s all.”
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