Former Bafana Bafana striker Mark Williams says the national team will have to find better opposition in preparation for next year’s World Cup, calling on Safa to arrange friendlies with the likes of Brazil and England instead of just neighbouring countries.
Bafana are enjoying a long-running unbeaten home run, spoilt only by the forfeited match against Lesotho, under Hugo Broos and extended it by beating Zambia in Gqeberha at the weekend.
But Williams, speaking after being inducted into the SA Hall of Fame at the weekend, reasoned Bafana could find themselves under strength if they constantly played against their neighbours.
We can’t always play against Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia...we need to play the tough ones.
— Mark Williams , former Bafana Bafana striker
“We can’t always play against Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia,” said the legendary striker, who scored a brace in Bafana’s 2-0 win over Tunisia in the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations final.
“We need to play the tough ones — England, Brazil and Germany — and that will make us ready. That’s what we did; we used to play top teams, and when 1996 [Afcon] came, we were ready. It has been proven that when you play against big teams, you become physically strong. But at this moment, I think we will be lacking even at the Afcon [in Morocco next month].”
Since Broos took over in 2021, Bafana have played against just two European nations — France and Andorra — receiving a 0-5 drubbing against then-world champions Les Bleus and drawing the Andorrans.
The rest of the 49 matches were against African teams, including Saturday’s latest 3-1 win over Zambia in a Fifa week where Safa curiously opted to fixture only one match when other nations had two friendlies.
Some of the Bafana’s potential opponents at the Afcon, which kicks off in Morocco on December 21, faced tough opposition, with Senegal losing to Brazil at the weekend and Tunisia taking on the South American giant last night.
Williams also added his voice to calls for Helman Mkhalele, his fellow 1996 Afcon winner, to succeed Broos.
“It’s plain and simple: the man who has been by Broos’s side for the past four or five years must take over. If you don’t take him and opt for some foreign coach, that coach will take another two years to understand our culture. There’s no doubt Helman must be given the opportunity.”
Williams was among seven former footballers who were inducted into the Hall of Fame at a ceremony held at Silver Star Casino on the West Rand. The others were former Bafana stars Doctor Khumalo, Aaron Mokoena, Mark Fish, the late Phil Masinga and Clive Barker, as well as former Banyana skipper Janine van Wyk.
Sowetan
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