Bafana are back in Europe! Coach Broos eyeing performance, not results

The anticipation is increasing as Bafana Bafana are readying themselves to take to the field again for the first time since their disappointing 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying exit in November last year.

Head coach Hugo Broos assisted the South African Football Association (SAFA) to lock in two international friendly matches against Guinea and world champions France during the March mandatory FIFA break, with those matches taking place this over the next few days. 

Bafana play Guinea in Belgium on Friday night (19:00) and then France on Tuesday night (21:15). 

The 69-year-old Broos insists that the week-long stay in Europe, Bafana's first trip to the continent in over a decade, is not about targeting results with his focus is on the 2023 Africa Cup of Nation qualifiers that kick-start in June.

Bafana Bafana will fight it out against three African nations, yet to be confirmed, as the preliminary round is currently taking place.

Broos also promised that each selected player in the 23-man squad will get minutes against either the Syli National or Les Bleus as he looks to tweak his tactics.

"The purpose of the games will be to give everyone minutes to play. I want to see everyone in those two games because it is very important ahead of the Afcon qualifiers in June," said Broos.

"These will be training games. We will try something different against Guinea, and we have something in mind for the game against France.

"I expect a good performance, and the players are motivated. I hope that we will have a good game and beat Guinea.

"Again, don't look too much at the result in these two games. It is just the performance that counts."

It is Bafana's first visit to the continent in over a decade, with their last fixture against Iceland in 2009