South Africa coach Hugo Broos has played down the threat posed by Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush ahead of Bafana Bafana’s Africa Cup of Nations Group B clash with Egypt on Friday, insisting his side will focus on the team rather than individual stars.
Egypt began their AFCON campaign with a 2-1 win over Zimbabwe, with Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush scoring the equaliser before Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah struck late to seal victory.
South Africa also opened with a 2-1 win, edging Angola courtesy of a spectacular strike from Lyle Foster.
Broos, who led Cameroon to AFCON glory in 2017, said he would not deploy a special plan to contain Egypt’s Premier League attackers.
“We are focused on no one. The most important thing is the team,” he told a press conference on Thursday.
The Belgian acknowledged the quality in Egypt’s ranks but stressed that focusing on one player would be a mistake.
“We all know how good Salah is, we all know how good Marmoush is and we all know how good Trezeguet is and other players. They are such a good team. Why should we focus on one player? We have to be prepared to beat the team,” Broos said.
He added that South Africa’s approach must be proactive if they are to trouble the seven-time champions.
“We have to put Egypt in difficult situations and you can only do that when you use your quality and the players you normally use,” Broos explained.
The coach also pointed to history for confidence, recalling South Africa’s 1-0 win over Egypt in the round of 16 at the 2019 AFCON on home soil for the Pharaohs.
