Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has expressed his disappointment at the
lack of cooperation from the PSL when it comes to the Africa Cup of
Nations preparations.
Broos revealed that he sent a letter to the PSL at the end of last season
requesting that the DSTV Premiership fixtures should end on December 23,
however, the final round of matches for 2023 will be played on December
30.
The Belgian coach feels that the players need a bit of a break before
going into camp to prepare for the continental showdown, which is why he
had requested for fixtures to stop on December 23.
“You know, the players of Bafana Bafana, 80 percent are playing for top
teams of South Africa. So that means they will play many games. It should
have been good to give those players six or seven days off, so the PSL
should have stopped on the 23rd (of December), like I asked immediately
after last season. I did not even wait two days. After the last game
finished, the next day we sent a letter and asked them to stop the PSL on
the 23rd, so that we can give the players six or seven days. Did they read
the letter? I don’t know,” Broos said during a press conference held at
FNB Stadium on Thursday afternoon.
“They ignored it. Then I saw the program (the fixtures), and the first
thing I saw was that it stops on the 31st and I was like ‘why was I
expecting something?’ It doesn’t interest them. They just don’t want to
give you a good opportunity and a good environment to prepare the team.”
The Africa Cup of Nations is set to be played in Ivory Coast in January
and February and Broos is hoping that the PSL will reconsider their
decision and give the players the break they need to prepare for the
tournament.
