Hugo Broos unhappy at leaked Bafana footage but plays down significance against Mexico

Bafana Bafana drew 1-1 with the Caribbean side on Saturday in a match that was not an official fixture and therefore does not count towards caps.

How the footage was leaked remains unclear, but Broos believes the damage caused by it will be minimal.

“I saw there were some highlights on social media, which came as a surprise to me,” he said. “I do not know how those individuals entered the stadium. It is not really a surprise to me, because it is also important for Mexico to know how we played and what we did in that match.

“But it does not bother me. The Mexico coach does not need that Jamaica match; he probably knows more about us. I know enough about Mexico; I have seen enough (recent) games of Mexico.”

Broos was again critical of his team’s performance but suggested they were still adjusting to the altitude and recovering from jet lag.

“Maybe we still need a few more days to adapt to the high altitude. I saw players who could no longer make the efforts they wanted to make. That is certainly because of the high altitude,” he said.

“I am sure with the four days we have left, we will be ready for the game on Thursday.

“I knew we had to be here so many days before (the tournament kicks off on Thursday) because we need that adaptation and to be careful also with what we do in training.”

Broos insists his side will be ready to face Mexico and says they have the right game plan in mind; it just comes down to execution.

“We know what to do against Mexico. We know what to do when they have the ball and when we have possession. The final details will be worked on in our next two training sessions. Everything is focused on this game,” he said.

“They (the Mexican players) are all dangerous; they are a very good team with much movement and solidarity. You can see they really want to be world champions. You can see that with the way they play. We will have to be at our best level if we want to get a result. It is a very complete team.”

Broos says the players should relish the experience of featuring in the opening game of the tournament in front of a partisan home crowd.

“It will be a special and fantastic experience because my players have never played in that situation. For us it will be very important to stick to the game plan and not listen to what is happening in the stands,” he said.

“We have felt the support of South Africans (back home) and that is what we need to remember on Thursday when the game starts. All those people who believe in us for the moment.”

For Broos, it is a full circle moment after he played in the opening game of the 1986 World Cup for Belgium against the same opponents and at the same venue.

“It was a fantastic event and something I will never forget 40 years ago when we played the opening game against Mexico. That was when I felt how special the World Cup is,” he said.

“I was so happy as a player, motivated and excited. Now I am back here 40 years later, again playing the opening game against Mexico in the Azteca Stadium. It is amazing it happened. Again I am excited.”

Asked if it bothered him that many feel Bafana are the weakest team in a Group A that also includes Czech Republic and South Korea, Broos said he was happy others were underestimating his side.

“I am very happy that they think we are the weakest team,” he said.