Dead or no dead rubber, Hugo Broos was adamant that Bafana Bafana would approach the match against South Sudan with the sort of professionalism that the sold out Cape Town Stadium crowd deserved.
A few years a go it would be the type match that would see Bafana Bafana go through the motions, with the players already thinking about going back to their respective clubs.
But Broos demands more of his charges. He wants them to be ruthless and has created winners’ mentality, which has seen them go unbeaten in their last 16 matches.
And Bafana produced in a big way in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Sudan, beating the their opponents 3-0 with a professional and energetic performance that helped to create a buzz around the stadium.
The opening goal from Rayners was such a thing of beauty 😍 👌![CDATA[]]>🏾 pic.twitter.com/hr9Q7IoShM
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) November 19, 2024
"First of all, I have to congratulate my team for the performance, but also for the mentality," Broos said after the match.
"During the pre-match meeting, I showed them a few results of teams who were already qualified but who lost their final group game. Tunisia, Nigeria, Burkina Faso ... and I asked the players not to spoil the party today and that shows again the mentality that we have in that team."
Broos said when he took over three years ago that it felt like the players just rocked up at the national team with no drive and expectation to actually make a success of their international career.
But the Belgian has changed the players’ perception of what it means to play for your country. The quality was always there, but now it was time get the attitude right.
There can be no greater example of the team’s mentality shift than their run to the bronze medal at the previous AFCON in Ivory Coast, where they produced some dogged displays. With a bit of luck, they could have even made the final after taking Nigeria all the way to penalties in the semi-final.
They also went through the qualifying campaign unbeaten, with four wins and two draws, which saw them top Group K and get a seeding for the next continental showpiece in Morocco in 2025.
Here is the second from Maswanganyi pic.twitter.com/9htcegEgMl
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) November 19, 2024
"The big achievement this team made is their mentality. When I started three years ago, I was sometimes very disappointed when I saw the training," said Broos.
"I had a feeling that some of the players were coming to the national team to be on holiday. That was the feeling I had. The quality was always there.
"I saw good players but they didn't have the right mentality.
"The fact that this team still played 90 minutes for 100% to be first in the group is the right mentality. I am very proud of this team and to be their coach."
@JohnGoliath82