Former Bafana Bafana coach Augusto Palacios has outlined why he thinks Hugo Broos will need to go all out in a bronze medal match against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
On Saturday, South Africa and Congo DR will be battling for a third-spot finish in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations finals.
Palacios believes Broos understands very well this is no time to gift fringe players with caps.
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"I don't think this is the right time for him to give everyone a chance," Palacios tells KickOff.
"We are looking for a reputation, getting a bronze medal after 24 years will be a good achievement.
"Broos knows coming back with a bronze medal is an achievement for South Africa.
"And tomorrow he is going to continue with the squad he's been using all along.
"You cannot give a chance to everyone and destroy the core of the team. The man is a professional, the man wants results, and the man achieved.
"We have quality players, no matter where you play, no matter whether you play overseas or locally, how many players do we have overseas? Three.
"We gave him a chance, he tried his best, and now we are playing for a medal.
"The bronze medal is very important because you can proudly say, we are one of the best three countries in the continent.
"And remember, it will also move us up the FIFA rankings. We need to be one of the best three in Africa and with the confidence our players have now, we can do it.
"Congratulations to Hugo Broos, Helman Mkhalele, and the whole technical team.
"Remember everyone was saying we would be coming back home after the first round, but the players showed character and commitment for the country, so well done."
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