Bafana Bafana legends Mark Fish, Mbulelo Mabizela and Neil Tovey are adamant the country's qualification for next year's Africa Cup of Nations is cause for celebration even though it was achieved from a three-team group.
Bafana needed only four points to book their berth at next year's Afcon finals in Ivory Coast that will take place from January to February. Beating Liberia 2-1 in their penultimate Group K tie in Monrovia on Tuesday confirmed Bafana's ticket to the West African nation, having played a disappointing 2-all draw against the same opponents at home four days earlier.
SA joined leaders Morocco from Group K after Zimbabwe were disqualified due to a Fifa ban. While some feel Bafana and the nation at large shouldn't be celebrating because the odds favoured them, Fish has described Bafana's qualification as a "fantastic achievement", lauding coach Hugo Broos for sticking to his guns about the players he believed in.
"This is a fantastic achievement. It's not Bafana's fault that the group had only three teams. The most important thing is that the coach fulfilled his promise of taking the team to Ivory Coast. We were a bit apprehensive that they may not get a win in Liberia but they did, so the coach has done really well,'' Fish told Sowetan yesterday.
"The coach has his own favourite players and he's never been scared to stick with them. Fair enough, those players have delivered for him, kudos to him for not allowing the public opinion to influence him."
Tovey, who was the skipper when Bafana lifted their only major trophy to date, the 1996 Afcon, doesn't think Bafana had it easy in their qualification journey, highlighting Bafana are where they should be after securing the Afcon ticket.
"It has been a rough road, it has not been a plain sailing road. But he [Broos] has met his mandate ... even Safa themselves would tell you that. I suppose they are on track. They have qualified for Afcon,'' Tovey said yesterday.
Mabizela is of the view that qualifying for Afcon will lay a solid foundation for the current Bafana generation. "Getting to Afcon is a great step... this will lay a good foundation. The qualification will strengthen the bond between the players and the coaching staff. So, in a nutshell the coach has delivered."
Broos' record as Bafana coach
Games played: 16
Wins: 9
Defeats: 3
Draws: 4
Legends laud Broos for leading SA to Afcon
Coach achieved his mandate, says Tovey
Image: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
Bafana Bafana legends Mark Fish, Mbulelo Mabizela and Neil Tovey are adamant the country's qualification for next year's Africa Cup of Nations is cause for celebration even though it was achieved from a three-team group.
Bafana needed only four points to book their berth at next year's Afcon finals in Ivory Coast that will take place from January to February. Beating Liberia 2-1 in their penultimate Group K tie in Monrovia on Tuesday confirmed Bafana's ticket to the West African nation, having played a disappointing 2-all draw against the same opponents at home four days earlier.
SA joined leaders Morocco from Group K after Zimbabwe were disqualified due to a Fifa ban. While some feel Bafana and the nation at large shouldn't be celebrating because the odds favoured them, Fish has described Bafana's qualification as a "fantastic achievement", lauding coach Hugo Broos for sticking to his guns about the players he believed in.
"This is a fantastic achievement. It's not Bafana's fault that the group had only three teams. The most important thing is that the coach fulfilled his promise of taking the team to Ivory Coast. We were a bit apprehensive that they may not get a win in Liberia but they did, so the coach has done really well,'' Fish told Sowetan yesterday.
"The coach has his own favourite players and he's never been scared to stick with them. Fair enough, those players have delivered for him, kudos to him for not allowing the public opinion to influence him."
Tovey, who was the skipper when Bafana lifted their only major trophy to date, the 1996 Afcon, doesn't think Bafana had it easy in their qualification journey, highlighting Bafana are where they should be after securing the Afcon ticket.
"It has been a rough road, it has not been a plain sailing road. But he [Broos] has met his mandate ... even Safa themselves would tell you that. I suppose they are on track. They have qualified for Afcon,'' Tovey said yesterday.
Mabizela is of the view that qualifying for Afcon will lay a solid foundation for the current Bafana generation. "Getting to Afcon is a great step... this will lay a good foundation. The qualification will strengthen the bond between the players and the coaching staff. So, in a nutshell the coach has delivered."
Broos' record as Bafana coach
Games played: 16
Wins: 9
Defeats: 3
Draws: 4
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