Hugo Broos urges more teams to challenge as Orlando Pirates-Mamelodi Sundowns rivalry boosts Bafana Bafana

The rivalry between Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns in the Betway Premiership augurs well for Bafana Bafana, but coach Hugo Broos has encouraged other teams to step up, join the battle, and improve the depth of the national team.

Broos is set to announce his final squad for the Fifa World Cup in June, and has already finalised about 70% of the group that will represent the country in North America.

Given the competitiveness of Pirates and Sundowns across all competitions this season, the two clubs are expected to continue having the most representatives in the squad.

During the recently concluded FIFA window – in which Bafana drew 1–1 with Panama in Durban before losing 2–1 to the Central Americans in Cape Town – Sundowns had seven players in the squad, just one fewer than Pirates.

Speaking during the recent camp, Broos insisted that the rivalry between the two teams gives him a strong selection base, while he still has a wide pool of players waiting in the wings for opportunities.

“It’s not difficult (to select players), they are all there,” Broos said. “We have 23 players, and there’s still a list of 20 more players that we can monitor in the coming months, and even later.”

While Broos is pleased with the competitiveness of the two sides – with Pirates having won the MTN8 and Carling Knockout, and Sundowns chasing continental glory in the CAF Champions League – he has made a humble plea to the rest of the teams.

“I just think it will only be good for the national team when the level of the PSL is high. You have the big teams now, Pirates and Sundowns, in a strong battle,” he said.

“It’s also a good fight between two teams pushing to be champions. But the rest are far behind. It would be better if we had four or five teams competing for the title – they would push each other to higher levels. That would have a direct influence on the national team.

“Let’s hope other teams show more fighting spirit, because sometimes I feel that even before facing Pirates and Sundowns, they already believe they have lost.”

While Sundowns and Pirates players are fierce rivals at club level, they remain united in the national team setup. That rivalry has intensified their competitive edge, with friendly banter often carrying over into the Bafana camp.

Ronwen Williams, the Bafana captain who has helped foster strong camaraderie within the squad, praised Broos for raising competitiveness, saying it has also helped players secure moves abroad.

“There are a lot of positives to take,” Williams said. “If you look at the time before the coach arrived, how many players were based overseas? Not many. Sundowns were dominating and cruising. But now there’s competition, especially from Orlando Pirates, and that’s positive for Bafana.

“The pool the coach can choose from is much bigger now because more players are performing and earning opportunities overseas.”

Bafana blew hot and cold against Panama in their recent friendlies, but the team knows it must be at its best at the World Cup, starting in the group stage against co-hosts Mexico, Czech Republic, and South Korea, to impress on the global stage.

“But like the coach mentioned, the World Cup will open doors for more players to play at the highest level,” Williams added. “There’s a massive difference, and you can feel it when you face higher-ranked opposition.”