Staff Reporter.
New Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has revealed his assistant,who will be working alongside when he begins his tenure with the senior national team.
Broos was announced as Molefi Ntseki’s successor last week after SAFA’s technical committee “unanimously agreed” on his appointment.
Broos‚ being presented to the media at Safa House in Nasrec on Wednesday‚ said he is collaborating with the SA Football Association (Safa) technical committee to appoint an “important” South African assistant in the coming days.
He has revealed that his number-two will be Olympiakos Nicosia coach Cedomir Janevski.
Broos said Janevski (59)‚ a defender for Yugoslavia and Macedonia in the 1980s and 1990s‚ will arrive in SA soon after Olympiakos meet Anorthosis Famagusta in the Cypriot Cup final in Nicosia on Saturday.
Broos also revealed that‚ as he needs to have his second shot of his Covid-19 vaccine in Belgium on June 4‚ Janevski and the SA assistant will take charge of potentially two friendlies to be played in early June.
“My Belgian assistant is not here for the moment because he is still working in Cyprus. He stays with his team as next Sunday he has a cup final‚” Broos said.
“After that he will be here with the SA assistant coach to coach those two games in June. We are looking for opponents‚ so we will see which teams we will play.
“His name is Cedo Janevski. He is from Macedonia but was living I think 25 to 30 years in Belgium.
“He played for Club Brugge in Belgium‚ is married to a Belgian‚ so he’s Belgian. He talks English‚ French and Dutch‚ so there will be no problem with languages.
“There will be no problem with experience. He was the coach of Brugge I think nearly 20 years ago‚ won the cup with Brugge‚ was a coach in Greece‚ a coach of the national team of Macedonia.
Janevski has been the head coach of a number of teams‚ including Club Brugge‚ where he won the Belgian Cup in 2007; Red Star Belgrade (Serbia); Macedonia in 2012 to 2013‚ Mons (Belgium) and Ismaily (Egypt).
Broos added that the nation would have to be realistic in their expectations for Bafana Bafana’s fortunes under the new technical leadership.
“We will do everything to qualify for the World Cup. But we have to be realistic. It’s not an easy group. It can happen that we may not qualify for the World Cup. Don’t be angry if we don’t qualify,” he said.
“But if we don’t qualify for Afcon 2023 you can kill me. And the 2026 Fifa World Cup is also a must. But we will do everything and we can be in Qatar next year. But you must be patient,” he adds.
Bafana’s 2022 World Cup Group G kickoff being postponed to September‚ where they will meet Zimbabwe away and Ghana at home‚ has left space for two friendlies to be arranged during the June Fifa international date.