Drawing on his own playing memories from the 1986 tournament, Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos warns his side to block out the Mexican wall of sound in their crucial World Cup opener.
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has challenged his players to completely block out an expected wall of sound on Thursday when they take on co-hosts Mexico in their high-stakes Fifa World Cup opener.
Broos, 74, will be making an emotional personal return to the iconic Estadio Azteca when he leads Bafana Bafana into their daunting Group A assignment in Mexico City. The former Belgium international experienced the deafening cauldron of the Azteca first-hand during the 1986 finals in Mexico, where he lined up in the Red Devils' opening match against the tournament hosts.
The veteran tactician is bracing for more of the same on Thursday in a clash that he regards as absolutely pivotal to South Africa's chances of advancing beyond the group stage.
"There will be a massive crowd and there will not be so much South African support," Broos admitted. "So that is a big help for them. They will have 85,000 Mexicans shouting and singing. But we have to focus entirely on our game. If we can do that — if we are not too heavily influenced by the noise of 85,000 Mexicans — then we can have a good game."
