Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos. Image: Lefty Shivambu/BackpagePix
Bafana Bafana’ Broos: Football has changed
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has responded to the pressure of selecting Tashreeq Matthews, who is flying in Sweden.
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos. Image: Lefty Shivambu/BackpagePix
The pressure has been rising. Why has Bafana Bafana’s coach Hugo Broos, been ignoring Tashreeq Matthews?
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TASHREEQ MATTHEWS TO WAIT LONGER FOR BAFANA BAFANA
After emerging as the second-best goal-contributor with 10 goals and 10 assists in the Swedish League with IK Sirius Fotboll, Broos has been under pressure to pick the 23-year-old attacking midfielder.
According to Broos, the Cape Town Spurs academy graduate from Hanover Park lacks physical power.
“I saw him playing in the Swedish competition, a few games,” Broos said via iDiskiTimes.
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“It’s a guy that has skills, but you see also in the duel, it’s a little bit difficult for him. He’s not tall, he is small, so yeah, at international level, this guy when he dribbles once, his opponent says, ‘Okay, next time, wait’. It’s not going to say immediately. ‘Oh, no, he’s little, oh, no, he’s not powerful’.
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“But yes, if we have to choose between players, then sometimes we take the player who’s more powerful.
POWER IN THE MODERN GAME
“If you are coming there with all players from under the 180 [cm], you miss power, you miss height. So football has changed now, it’s not anymore the little one who can dribble and is fast,” the AFCON 2017 champion coach with Cameroon added.
“No, it’s also power, it’s also body. And that’s something we look after also, because I was a little bit surprised in the beginning to have all those small players on the selection.
“And it changed now and every time we say to each other, Helman and I, ‘Hey, we have a big team now.’
“And it’s important to have them, but first of all, the talent is the most important thing. But if you have a team with talent and body, I think you have a good team,” the Bafana mentor concluded.
You can find more articles from Siseko Gwegwe here.
