South Africa – Namibia, the troops of Hugo Broos (71 years old) facing the men of Collin Benjamin (45 years old). Two generations of coaches with diametrically different CVs and ambitions. And who will face each other on Sunday January 21 to hope to win their ticket for the round of 16 of this CAN 2024.
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The first has 71 years on the clock, has already won a CAN with Cameroon in 2017 and has been on the European and African sidelines since 1988. The second celebrated his 45th birthday this year and is currently leading his very first team. The meeting of the second day of Group E of this CAN 2024 between South Africa and Namibia, in addition to its derby status, will respectively pit the oldest coach in the competition – Hugo Broos – against the youngest in the person of Collin Benjamin.
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The Belgian, at the head of Bafana Bafana, knows continental football well. In any case, enough to have added a CAN to his list of achievements, already enhanced by a few national titles in the championship of his native Belgium. “ It was definitely a special experience to win a big tournament, but winning it in Africa is a totally different mentality and I had to learn and know “, explained the person concerned.
Confident, the septuagenarian traveled to Ivory Coast to repeat the feat with his South Africa: “ It was a fantastic experience to win five or six years ago. And if you ask me if I want to do it again, of course I want to do it again “, he assured, very ambitious, at the beginning of January.
The eldest has the method, the younger wants to put it in place
On the Namibian side, obviously, the accumulated experience, as well as the objectives in the competition, are much less. When Collin Benjamin signed his five-year contract at the head of the Brave Warriors, few people were counting on the very presence of the selection at this CAN. Moreover, it is the draw obtained in Cameroon during the playoffs that the hope of being part of it germinated. After which the Indomitable Lions lost in the second leg end of March.
“ We weren’t given a chance, remembered the former Brave Warriors player (41 caps) on the COSAFA show podcast. The press conference (before the match, editor’s note) was about the score we were going to lose by “. Aware of the gap that may exist between his selection and his direct competitors for qualification for the round of 16 – most of his players play in South Africa, Botswana or Namibia – he does not hesitate to ask his federation for more means, ambitious friendly matches and the organization of training courses.
In the meantime, he is riding a group proud of Cameroon’s scalp collected during the qualifiers, a draw obtained against South Africa in a recent friendly, and the desire for revenge. The Brave Warriors having crossed paths with Bafana Bafana twice at the CAN, for two defeats (0-1 and 1-4).
“ Less talent, more work and just hunger “, is Collin Benjamin’s adage. “ They (his players) They all want to succeed and most of them are good players. They want to get out of it and to have visibility, the only way is the national team “, he insists. And for this, since you have to arm your team with the means at hand, the solutions are simple in his eyes.
Physical condition, the key to the meeting?
First of all, ” we need to improve our physical condition. With good physical condition you are aggressive, when you are aggressive you hinder your opponent “. And for the mental side, he tries to “ create ambition in the players, that they understand that they are working towards a goal. […] I have life principles and I try to instill them in them », he summarized at the microphone of the COSAFA Show. Ingredients that resemble those already used by others to shine on the continental scene. In any case effective for gleaning a first historic victory against Tunisia during the first day.
And that’s good for the Brave Warriors, since Hugo Broos rightly pointed out that the Malians had been “ more physical in the first half. […] Above all, it was Mali’s physical condition that was better than ours. So that’s the difference and that’s where Mali was able to change the match, not at the football level “. What will give ideas to the Namibians of Benjamin in the crushing heat of Korhogo?