AFCON 2023: "We have no stars like Osimhen but..." - South Africa's coach Broos laments and aims dig at Nigeria

Victor Osimhen and Hugo Broos

AFCON 2023: "We have no stars like Osimhen but..." - South Africa's coach Broos laments and aims dig at Nigeria

Allan Damba 12:41 - 07.02.2024

He juxtaposed with his team, who play more as a unit than depend on the big names.

The Africa Cup of Nations semifinal clash between South Africa and Nigeria has kickstarted with a bit of mind games, setting it nicely for the Bouake showdown on Wednesday.

South Africa's head coach Hugo Broos has taken a tactical dig at Nigeria for having superstars, as compared to his team.

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos | Photo Credit: Courtesy

He juxtaposed with his team, who play more as a unit than depend on the big names.

"We don't really have one-star player like a lot of teams. Just look at our opponents tomorrow, Nigeria, with Victor Osimhen, who plays for Napoli and is a big star," Broos told AFP in an interview.

"We don't have players like that, so it is really the collective that makes us a good team. Everyone does their job and that is sometimes more important than having a few great players."

While his is not superstar-studded, Broos leans heavily on giants Mamelodi Sundowns, a side that dominates South African club football, and recently won the African Football League.

His starting line-up has been the same for the last four matches, including Saturday's victory on penalties over Cape Verde in the quarter-finals.

"They are used to playing together, so there are certain things they know how to do automatically," said the Belgian, who played at the 1986 World Cup.

Victor Osimhen in action|IMAGO

"The defence is made up of four Sundowns players, so they understand each other very well, and that means that as a coach, there is not much I need to do. It is not the same when you have four players from four different clubs because then you really need to work on developing an understanding."

"That means you gain a little bit of time, and for me, that's good, especially as they play in the African Champions League, so they have experience of a higher level than our league."

He added: "I am not someone who changes for the sake of it. I know that rotation is used a lot in modern football, but on the other hand, for me, a team that wins is a confident team, and you mustn't change it too much."

While South Africa will target their second AFCON title, Nigeria will aim for their fourth in history.