"I can kill those guys" - Hugo Broos | OneFootball

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Broos on SA talent pool

Photo: OJ Koloti/ Gallo Images

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has spoken out about bridging the gap between youth and first-team football in order to integrate upcoming youngsters in the senior national team.

Since taking over in May 2021, the Belgian mentor has been vocal about the importance of having players with international experience in his squad.

Now, with the junior national teams staking their claim in the FIFA World Cups, Broos believes South Africa has a platform to capitalize on the talent in the country and called for continuity.

“I always said international experience is important and for those who were already at World Cup or AFCON with the U20 or U17, they already have the experience. But you have to continue,” said the veteran tactician.

"Now you have a base, you have U17 that's in the World Cup, you have U20 who won the AFCON and was in the World Cup. But now the next step has to be done and if you don't go on working with those guys, all that talent will be lost as quick as you can think.

"So, we have to go on working with them and give them the chances in the next months and years for Bafana Bafana because before they are not with Bafana Bafana and before they are not in training with Bafana Bafana - we will not know if they can make the next step.

He continued: "So, the advantage we have now compared to the other years before is that we have now a pool of players who have already an international experience on youth level. So, it's up to us now to keep working with them in the next months already and the next years.

While he believes Bafana have a bright future, the 73-year-old mentor says he is in no rush to call-up highly rated starlets from the youth ranks, citing long-term repercussions on their football careers.

“I think the future for Bafana Bafana is very bright because there is talent but you have to be careful also that you don't call those players too soon. I can't call for example [Tylon] Smith or [Shandre] Campbell with the national team now and go to AFCON,” Broos added.

"This is too soon, I can kill those guys and I don't want to do it because the talent is there, so it's up to them, not up to us first of all - to give them the chances in the next months also to have that experience on the international level and higher level.

"It should be very important to create an U23 team and every FIFA break there is organized games for the U23 team and give them that experience that should make the process quicker than ever. So, there is a lot of work to do.