On Bafana Bafana's match against Nigeria
Look, Bafana Bafana against Nigeria is always a tough, tough game. Over the years it's always been an interesting game to watch. There's a long history between the two countries, so it's difficult to predict the results at times. The team just needs to go out there and perform to their best, although sometimes these off-season matches tend to be tricky because some players might be tired. You have to know who will show up on the day, who will really want to win the game, to step up and be the winner. Results between the two sides tend to go the way of Nigeria and, at times, it could be that Nigeria has a mental edge over us. As you know, over the years they've always been one of our big rivals, but I think that Hugo Broos has been building a formidable team over the last few years. And if you look at the last AFCON, he has really done well and people didn't expect him to do that well.
So in that respect, and because he has worked with this team for long now, maybe it will change the results against Nigeria. Obviously, Nigeria has got quality players in their squad; they have got big-name players too. But with the time Broos has spent with the team, I do believe that they have built a strong team that can show what they can do in these kinds of matches. Everybody in our team will have to be at their best because, if you give anything less than your best, you are not going to win against Nigeria. I just hope that the time that Broos has taken to build this team will inspire confidence in the players. The coach has also shown that he can bring in some exciting players, so hopefully that will help the image of the team. If you really play well and you perform to the best of your ability, then the results will come your way. Let me emphasise again the time Broos spent with the team, the last few years, he's been building something good. If we come out of these games with something, especially against Nigeria, it will be good for the team.
On facing Zimbabwe after that
Zimbabwe will always be a tricky opposition but, to be honest, we should be able to beat them. Yes, they do have quality players, but with the team we have been building, we should be beating them. I also know that they can always be difficult to break down and are unpredictable. Hence, they are capable of beating any opponent on their day, so we should not take them lightly. We should go for maximum points in that match, especially considering that we are playing at home.
On Lyle Foster's return
Definitely Lyle's return should be a big boost for Bafana Bafana ahead of the World Cup qualifiers. He's a goalscorer and plays at the highest level of any of the players in the squad. It should be a confidence booster for the team to have him around. Yes, obviously he had some issues last season, but it's good to see him back playing and enjoying himself again. I think at times we struggle with scoring goals and having a player like Lyle in the team will definitely boost our chances of scoring more goals, which will help us win the upcoming matches. If you are playing in the English Premier League, which is probably the best league in the world, I don't think pressure to perform in the upcoming matches will be an issue for him. Playing in that league is in itself a big thing; it's every player's dream to play there. I don't think he needs to prove himself or show anybody what he can do by coming back to the national team set-up. He doesn't need to put himself under pressure to prove himself to anyone. If he accepted the invitation to join the national team, then he should be ready to play. I think with mental health, it's a case of you feeling that you are ready. When we went to the AFCON, he said he was not ready to play for the country and just the mere fact that he made himself available this time around says that he is ready. I would assume that when you are dealing with mental health, you'll need to do stuff that you are comfortable with. So I feel that if he wasn't comfortable and ready to play these games, he wouldn't have accepted the call-up.
On the absence of Tshegofatso Mabasa
Look, he has been a key player in the previous matches he played for us. The coach understands his players better and has his reasons for not selecting certain players at certain times. We should just respect the coach's decisions, and also allow him to give opportunities to other players. Lyle, for instance, is back in the team. We also need to look at the exciting part of it where we have (Orlando Pirates' Relebohile) Mofokeng in the team – a young man who is going to get some valuable experience just by training with the national team and being part of the setup. But you should also remember that people will always question what the coach does, who he selects and who he doesn't select. In the last AFCON, he went on to reach the semi-finals, and in doing so surprised many people. So whatever the coach's reason not to select Mabasa was, we just need to support him and hope for the best. He understands this group and, again like I said before, he's been working with them for a while now. He knows the reasons why he didn't select Mabasa.
On Bafana's chances of qualifying for World Cup
We always stand a good chance of qualifying when we come up against teams like Nigeria and Zimbabwe. It's all about us going out there and picking up points. If we can pick up points away from home and obviously win our home games, then we're always in with a chance. I don't think we have to sit back or anything, the last AFCON has proven again that we can play against top, top teams and beat them. We should have confidence going to these qualifiers. We have to go out there and win games because, like I said, we've done it before and the recent AFCON has shown that we can perform, that we can play against these big sides. The time the coach has been given to work with this team is important because I think sometimes we tend to chop and change coaches easily and not give them an opportunity to build the team. With all the national teams, it doesn't take a few months, one year or two years. It takes many years to build a national team and Broos has been here for a while now. I think the space and opportunity that SAFA has given him has helped because he now has a lot of time to work with the players. That's the major factor that has helped them get the team where he wants them to be right now. Ultimately, and hopefully, we will have good qualifiers and that we will qualify for the World Cup. So, away against Nigeria I would go for a draw, maybe a score draw of 1-1 and then beat Zimbabwe at home by 2-0.
Tyren Arendse,
Former Bafana Bafana striker
