Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has cautioned that it’s too early to thrust young U20 players into the senior team despite their U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) glory.
South Africa won the continental youth crown and also qualified for the 2025 FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile where they have been drawn in Group E with the USA, France and New Caledonia.
The coach was asked if these players have impressed enough to stay in the senior team or if they are being sharpened for the youth world show piece and he said he is careful with how he is handling youth players because they aren’t suddenly superstars like Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi.
Broos is also careful to not throw them in the deep end for the sake of their careers while also saying he will see after the senior AFCON and if they qualify for the 2026 World Cup if some of them can be roped in with the big boys.
“I don’t think we have to rush with those guys,” said Broos.
“They are young, they did a fantastic result with winning AFCON. But we don’t have to think now suddenly that they have already the level of Bafana Bafana player. This is very much too soon for that.
“So secondly, there is a World Cup. I think it’s much better for them now that they still play the World Cup again in two months or three months and to have that experience again of international experience on their level. We don’t have to underestimate the World Cup.
“So, they will play against very good teams, against very good players. For them is a new experience and I think it’s much better to give them that experience than to call them immediately already for Bafana Bafana.
“I’m sure they don’t have the level for the moment of Bafana Bafana; they don’t have it and it’s impossible. They are 18, 19, 17 years old. So, it’s much better that they can have experience on their level.
“Also, for AFCON, we don’t have to think that there will be players from minus-20 already with the selection of AFCON, this is too high for them immediately.
“But then after that, looking to ‘touch wood’ that we qualify for World Cup, then we can think about maybe one, two or three players to take with us to the World Cup and to give them that experience.
“But you have to be very careful with the young players and certainly with players like them who won an AFCON. Everybody’s thinking now suddenly that we have, and I exaggerate now that we have all Yamals and the young Messis – no we are not that far.
“So, give them time because when we call them too soon, maybe I break their career because they are not ready. And everybody will say, oh, well, they are not so good.
“So, we don’t do that. It’s time enough and that they concentrate now on the World Cup and then after AFCON we will see what we will do with them.
“But if for sure, if they can confirm again in the World Cup their performance then everything is open after AFCON.”
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