Former Premier Soccer League coach Zeca Marques has given his verdict on Bafana Bafana's performance against Andorra on Thursday evening in Algeria.
South Africa drew 1-1 with lowly-ranked Andorra in Thursday's FIFA Series friendly match. The European country are ranked 164th in the FIFA Rankings, while Bafana are in position 58.
Marques applauds Hugo Broos for giving the likes of Khanyisa Mayo and Ricardo Goss game-time in the fixture.
"These games are important, obviously you play for the results, but the coach has a vision of what he wants to achieve going forward," Marques tells KickOff.
"We've done exceptionally well at the AFCON, and now we have to look at different options. He's (Broos) got to look at the situation on if there's a crisis, who do we get to call up, and these are the games that are going to give him those answers.
"With Andorra playing away in Algeria, it gave him time to get to know the players better.
"Yes, it's a draw, but I think he got more out of this game by analyzing what the players can do in the tactical situations. It's crucial to play these games as they give you a better understanding," he added.
The former Moroka Swallows head coach is also of the view that friendly games are not the be-all and end-all when it comes to the national team, and says there are various reasons for this.
"There are players who don't want to get injured, and there are players who don't want to be called up. The purpose there was more to assess and to plan going forward, this is my understanding of friendly matches.
"Coaches sometimes get criticized because they don’t play certain players, and when they finally give the players a chance to prove themselves, the players don't come across. They don't show up. So, this is also a moment for the coach to say, 'my friend, there was your chance, but you didn't take it, so in the future, I can't select you. That's it.'
This is the moment for players who seldom play to grab with both hands, and they should go out there and get the results."
"Marques believes Thursday's performance and result was a reality check for the Belgian mentor.
"I've seen Andorra play many, many games, and they get hammered 6-0, 7-0, 8-0 by people. So, the guys who got called up were given an opportunity and they never grabbed it.
"It proves that the players the coach Hugo Broos had in the past, he was in the right direction."
