JOHANNESBURG – New Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos will not be in the dugout for the senior national team’s international friendlies next month, saying he’ll have to leave the country at the end of this month to return home to receive his second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
The 69-year-old Belgian addressed the South African media for the first time on Wednesday afternoon since being announced as the successor of Molefi Ntseki – who failed to help the team qualify for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations in March – last week.
Prior to his appointment, Broos was expected to hit the ground running following the initial schedule of the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers next month. However, he has since been given a breather after Caf postponed the qualifiers from June to September.
ALSO READ: I like fancy football, says Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos
That’s why the Afcon winning coach will return home until the end of July for his second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. In his absence, he’ll leave his two assistants to run the team, while he will work remotely until his return.
“I’ll be here in South Africa until the 24th of May because we are living in a world of Covid-19. I got my first vaccine in Belgium and I’ll get the second one in the beginning of June on the fourth. I’ll be protected, seeing that we’ll be travelling a lot,” Broos said.
“With the games that we’ll be playing in June, they’ll be done by my assistants. They’ll be a Belgian and South African assistants. I’ll be monitoring the games in June. I don’t need to be here for those matches because I have confidence in them.”
ALSO READ: Can Bafana Bafana beat Ghana? It’s possible says new coach Hugo Broos
Broos is yet to establish who his South African assistant will be as he's still in talks with the South Africa Football Association Technical Team about the requirements that his new deputy must have if they are to succeed as the technical team and Bafana.
However, he’s already chosen his “Belgian assistant” – Cedomir Janevski. The 59-year-old Macedonian-born mentor has lived most of his life in Belgium, having grown up there, played football, coached and married from the country as well.
Janevski will arrive in South Africa next week as he still has to guide his Cyprian side, Olympiakos Nicosia, in a cup final this weekend. Broos is confident Janevski will bring a lot of invaluable knowledge to the team due to their relationship and success over the years.
“There will be no problems with him bringing experience. He coached Club Brugge, and won a cup with them. He coached in Greece, and was a coach of the Macedonian national team. I think he’s experienced and he’s also a friend of mine,” he said.
Broos is expected to officially sit in Bafana’s dugout for the first time in September when they travel to neighbours Zimbabwe and host Ghana in the World Cup qualifiers. The national team are in Group G in the qualifiers alongside The Warriors, the Black Stars and Ethiopia.
IOL Sport