More calls are being made in the fraternity for the South African Football Association to consider extending Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos' contract.
Broos has become the man of the moment after leading Bafana to a third place finish in the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast much to the delight of the millions of football followers in Mzansi.
With Broos still having two more years on his contract, having signed a five-year deal when he was appointed in 2021, there have been calls for SAFA to consider tying the 71-year-old Belgian tactician on a long-term deal to give him enough time to build on AFCON success.
Speaking exclusively to the Siya crew, veteran football administrator Peter Koutroulis has explained why he believes that the former AFCON-winning coach is the right man for the job.
The Good
"After all these years since Bafana Bafana last won the Africa Cup of Nations, I think we are back on track with the progress that has been made. We played very good soccer, and the boys represented the country very well and I say well done to everyone who contributed to this success. I've got a message for SAFA and that is they shouldn't change the coach any time soon. They must give him time because this coach can take the team somewhere. He has proved to everyone that he knows what he is doing, and he is experienced. Everybody in South Africa who follows football speaks very well about him and he deserves it. With the experience he has got, the coach knows how to deal with the players and that's the kind of leader you need. The mood in the team has been very high throughout the tournament and it shows that the man (Broos) knows how to motivate the players. What I know about South African players is that they need somebody who understands them, and right now that somebody is the current coach. If I were to advise SAFA I would say, give the coach another three years," said Koutroulis.
The Bad
"For me, Bafana deserved to go to the final after how well they played in the semis. That's why I am saying that the coach deserves more time to work with the team because changing him now could have a negative effect. Yes, if he came back with negative results I would understand if SAFA changed him, but the truth is that he has done well. Bringing a new coach would mean starting from zero and right now the team doesn't need that," he said.
The Ugly
"The comments that were made about this Bafana team and the coach before they left for AFCON were so negative. Many people didn't expect the coach to do a good job and he defied the odds. He (Broos) and the players proved a lot of people wrong and for me that's a lesson about the dangers of negativity," concluded the ex-Mamelodi Sundowns general manager.
What would be your advice to SAFA about Broos?
