Bafana win over Morocco vindicates Broos – Buckley

Erstwhile Bafana Bafana winger Delron Buckley views the national team’s recent victory over the No.1 team in Africa, Morocco, as an assurance that coach Hugo Broos mustn’t be doubted.

Bafana beat Morocco 2-1 in a dead-rubber Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier at FNB Stadium on Saturday. These two nations locked horns having already booked their tickets to the next edition of Afcon in Ivory Coast early next year.

Speaking at a ceremony, where he donated soccer kits and food hampers in his capacity as German side Arminia Bielefeld’s SA ambassador at Tsholetsega primary school in Kagiso, on the West Rand, on Monday, Buckley implied the win over the North Africans vindicated Broos.

“I was very happy [when Bafana beat Morocco] because you know all these months they’ve been criticised, especially coach Broos,” said Buckley, who represented Bafana 72 times, scoring 10 goals before retiring in 2015.

“[Some people are saying] that he is not doing this and that right. It’s just a matter of time before he had success with this team. I could see he’s trying to change things to try and get the national team back to the same level it was back in the days.”

The retired Bafana star, now aged 45, wants Broos’s troops to build on the win and use it as a motivation in Ivory Coast. The Atlas Lions are ranked 11th in the world following their heroics at the World Cup in Qatar last year, where they beat Spain and Portugal, before being knocked out by France in the semifinals. Bafana are ranked 11th on the continent and 66th by Fifa.

“The game against Morocco was something which probably should motivate the players because they beat one of the best countries not only in Africa, but in the world as well...they participated in the last World Cup and did very well. This should really give Bafana a very, very high hopes going into Afcon next year,” Buckley said.