Bafana Bafana have just returned from two intense Fifa Series matches on the continent where they had played against Andorra and Algeria, and despite not winning a game, they still managed to win hearts back home.
South Africa coach Hugo Broos has been credited for restoring hope and the positive image of the national team. Goalkeeper Veli Mothwa, who was part of the squad in Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations, discusses how Broos has moulded an underrated group of players into stars.
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Mothwa believes the Belgian accepts who the players are, what they stand for, has crafted a squad that accommodates their strengths and with no Prima Donnas.
“He is a father in the house - that’s Hugo Broos, a father who teaches discipline, respect, love, and a father who accepts any mistake you make and then he teaches you more,” Mothwa told Sports Night Amplified with Andile.
“And then, he tells you go do wrong and come back let’s fix it and then when you come out again you going to do the right things with discipline, respect, love and laughter and everyone enjoys the star that come out of the house that Hugo Broos is building,” he added.
The AmaZulu goalkeeper notes how players like Nyiko Mobbie, Siyanda Xulu and Thabang Monare have grown in leaps and bounds under the 2017 Afcon winner.
“If you can check now, most players playing for Hugo Broos in these two years most people were like 'Ah, these players are not good enough for the national team', as an example.
“People would say Nyiko Mobbie wasn’t good for the national team, Siyanda Xulu wasn’t good for the national team and if you can check those players in the last two years whenever they played - they made a difference for the national team,” Mothwa said.
"You know what’s happening, Hugo Broos brought us together and made sure people don’t see them as stars now but in the near future. It’s what’s happening now.
“People never believed in Xulu, but now people are praising him, never believed in Mobbie but now they are praising him because he is working hard.
“People never believed in Thabang Monare, but his star is shining and he was the captain in the game against Andorra. So, most players who came in the national team weren’t stars but they are stars now because of Hugo Broos,” added the shot-stopper.
Mothwa was omitted for the recent trip to Algeria due to a lack of playing time at club level, and he does worry that if his problem continues, then he might lose his spot in the national team.
“Somewhere, somehow, I’m going to worry because everyone wants to be in the national team and for me to be in the national team, I need to work hard on my club level.
“So, if I’m not playing on my club level, I must just keep it up for the national team. But now when there’s a chance for me to play at club level, I think I’m going to work hard to come back to the national team and the coach wants me to come back then I’m going to come back.
“But for now, I’m going to focus on my club level because the national team didn’t take me to go to this past two games but going to the next round,” he said.
“I need to play more on my club level. Going forward, we’ll see when the national team calls and we’ll take it from there,” continued the former Chippa United man.
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