Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos is delighted that the changes he made at halftime yielded dividends as his side secured a 2-0 victory at home to Lesotho in a 2026 World Cup qualifier.
South Africa hosted Lesotho at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Friday, looking to collect maximum points to boost their World Cup qualification chances, and got just that when Relebohile Mofokeng inspired them to victory.
South Africa created chances in the first half but failed to utilise them as Lesotho weathered the storm but after 60 minutes, Mofokeng slotted in from Elias Mokwana’s sublime pass before he set up Jayden Adams for the second.
Broos says he had to make some tactical changes at the break to bring some impetus in the team and is delighted that it resulted in pressure that secured victory.
Broos delighted with impact of halftime pep talk
“It was very important today that we have three points. We knew that it should be a tough game and we play against a team who don’t just want to lose,” Broos told SABC.
“We had four good chances in the first half and we just did not score so we corrected some things and started very quickly the second half.
“Immediately, there was pressure and once you have scored the first goal, you have done the most difficult [task] and it was a little bit late in the game but the most important thing is that we have a victory today and that we have three points.”
After the two goals, the veteran coach started making changes, with Teboho Mokoena, Adams, Mokwana, Lyle Foster and Percy Tau taken off. Broos says it was necessary to give some of his big hitters a rest ahead of Tuesday’s match away to Benin.
What did Lesotho coach make of the game?
Meanwhile, Lesotho coach Leslie Notsi has bemoaned a lack of concentration among his players but is not giving up on World Cup qualification with his side on five points, behind Nigeria (six points), Rwanda (seven points), Benin (eight points) and group leaders South Africa, who have 10 points.
“Lapse of concentration at a critical time and I think that is how we lost it,” Notsi told SABC.
“There are a lot of good attributes that came out of the match that we will take forward with the remaining matches so we are disappointed with the loss but with the way the boys conducted themselves, we believe there is a lot of progress in our team.”
South Africa will now turn their attention to Benin where they will be looking for three more points to lift them further away from their rivals.
