A joint decision by Fifa and CAF to move Bafana Bafana’s World Cup qualifier against Lesotho on Friday from Free State Stadium to the smaller Dr Molemela Stadium has perplexed coach Hugo Broos, but he insisted the team shouldn’t focus on the change of venue but concentrate on preparations for the match.
It’s Lesotho’s home game, but the unavailability of Fifa-accredited stadiums in that country forced them to move the game to SA, where it was initially pencilled for the Free State Stadium until, according to Broos, Fifa shifted it to the Dr Molemela Stadium. The game kicks off at 6pm.
I don’t know why, suddenly, Fifa and CAF control the pitches. They said in the letter that it’s because of the condition of the pitch. It’s the decision they made and we have to take it as it is.
— Coach Hugo Broos
“Yesterday, we received a letter from Fifa that we will play in the second stadium [Dr Molemela] in Bloemfontein, the little stadium,” Broos told the media at Dobsonville Stadium on Monday.
“I don’t know why, suddenly, Fifa and CAF control the pitches. They said in the letter that it’s because of the condition of the pitch [at Free State Stadium that forced them to move the game to Dr Molemela].
“It’s the decision they made and we have to take it as it is. We don’t have to focus on that... this is out of our power, we must just focus on the game. [Before Fifa’s communique], we didn’t know where we had to play and we contacted Lesotho and they knew nothing about it.”
Bafana are due to host Nigeria in another World Cup qualifier at Free State Stadium next Tuesday.
Broos described the current camp as the most difficult since he joined Bafana in May 2021 and bemoaned the injuries to his squad, with Ime Okon and Patrick “Tito” Maswanganyi having to be replaced by Thabo Moloisane and Sipho Mbule.
“I have to say that it’s maybe one of the most difficult preparations I’ve had since I am the coach of Bafana. We have a lot of injuries... important players. First of all, [Nkosinathi] Sibisi is not here, Okon is injured, Themba [Zwane] was playing, but he’s injured again,” Broos lamented.
“[Sphephelo] Sithole played his first game this past weekend, but he’s still not [fit], [and so are Deano] van Rooyen, [Grant] Kekana and today we had to tell Maswanganyi to go home again after the injury of yesterday [when Pirates beat Chippa 3-0 at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and where he also scored].”
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