South Africa's Broos vows no mercy in AFCON knockout against Cameroon
South Africa coach Hugo Broos has vowed to show no mercy to Cameroon as he faces his former team in the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday.
Broos will take Bafana Bafana to Al Medina Stadium in Rabat to play the nation he guided to a surprise AFCON title in Gabon in 2017.
Tomorrows match holds special meaning for me. Conquering an AFCON with a country imprints part of it on your heart, yet tomorrow mercy has no place since I now lead South Africa and I intend to claim victory, the Belgian Broos explained to journalists on Saturday in Moroccos capital.
They form a capable squad, full of young talent, with strong determination and mindset, so to overcome them we need to deliver our finest performance.
Cameroon collected seven points from nine available in the group stage in Morocco, notwithstanding the disorganised preparations for the competition.
Coach Marc Brys faced dismissal from football federation president and Indomitable Lions icon Samuel Etoo mere weeks before their debut fixture, leading to David Pagous appointment as successor.
I would rather have encountered Cameroon in the final, as this timing feels premature, Broos noted.
I felt intrigued to watch Cameroon amid their extensive team shifts, and the results surprised me. Despite limited preparation, their coach achieved solid work, making this a tough challenge for us.
He further stated: No mercy tomorrow. You can rely on that. Securing the win matters above all.
Training ground setback
Meanwhile, the 73 year old vented frustration at the event organisers for obliging his team to train at the Moroccan national sides base, located 45 minutes drive from their Rabat accommodation.
The Sunday victor advances to face Morocco in the quarter finals, provided the hosts dispatch minnows Tanzania from their last 16 encounter.
I cannot grasp why CAF, the Confederation of African Football, sanctioned such an arrangement. I express this because it leaves me dissatisfied, Broos lamented.
Bafana Bafana, who secured qualification for this years World Cup, aspire to equal their semi final progress from the prior Nations Cup in Ivory Coast in 2024.
However, their coach acknowledges the challenge, given the elite competition still in contention.
We arrived with the target of matching or exceeding our two year old achievement, yet I warned this tournament proves far more demanding.
The previous AFCON saw many leading sides eliminated early, but now they persist, rendering paths to the final or semis considerably harder, while our aspirations endure unchanged.