Russia 2018 World Cup : Cameroon’s coach set to dump Lions

Cameroon’s Africa Cup of Nations-winning coach, Hugo Broos may well be on his way out of the Lions’ den as he is set to dump Cameroon for South Africa, following his interest in the vacant Bafana Bafana job.

According to KickOff.com, the coach has come out clear to fill the vacant job of the South Africa national team.

To indicate his seriousness to head to South Africa, the Belgian has since thrown his name into the hat with SAFA, who are in search of a replacement for Shakes Mashaba, but according to his representative Gino Laureyssen of Ligi Star Management, they are yet to receive a response.

Broos recently led a make-shift Indomitable Lions outfit to their fifth – and first in 15 years – Africa Cup of Nations crown in Gabon, merely a year into his job.

“I asked him [Broos] if he wants to be a candidate for SAFA because they are looking for a head coach,” Laureyssen tells this website. “So this week we have sent his CV to the CEO of SAFA, but until now we didn’t get any answer, which I think is a little [unusual].

“He’s very interested in working with a young group and I think the South African national team hasn’t done well in recent years, and if you see how he did with Cameroon, with not only stars but players who want to fight and work hard, I think that [his interest] is a good sign.”

Regarding his current job at the Central African giants, Laureyssen explains that Broos is content with his achievement of lifting the continental crown, and would prefer a new challenge elsewhere rather than regressing in future.

“Look, if he has won the African Cup of Nations and is a hero in that country, I think he’s very smart [to know] that it can only go backwards [from here on out],” he added.

“I mean, he has reached the maximum possible with that team, in that tournament, so I think now the challenge is to look for a new project where he can see what he can do – if he can maybe go to the [2018] World Cup or the next Nations Cup.

“Nothing is decided yet but if he says he wants a new challenge it means a lot and to be honest, personally, the living conditions in South Africa are maybe a little better than in Cameroon.”

Meanwhile, the site confirmed that Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba has rushed to labour court to stop SAFA from appointing a new coach for Bafana Bafana.

Mashaba took SAFA to the CCMA, citing unfair dismissal after being sacked from the senior national team head coach position in December.

The former Orlando Pirates captain is demanding his job back, with his legal representative Claudio Bollo confirming that they rushed to the labour court yesterday in a bid to stop the association from hiring his replacement.

… Salisu focuses on quality friendlies

Nigeria national team chief coach, Salisu Yusuf is not moved about the prospect of facing Cameroon in August’s FIFA World Cup qualifier.

In the wake of their Africa Cup of Nations triumph, Hugo Broos’ men would be chasing a vital win against the three-time African kings to revive their chances of reaching Russia 2018.

But the Super Eagles handler felt with more friendly encounters coupled with their knowledge about the African champions, there would be nothing to fret about.

“As far as we are concerned, we want to try and speak less about the World Cup qualifier between Nigeria and Cameroon which is still over five months away,’’ Yusuf told Goal.

‘’All the coaches of the Eagles are in touch with the technical adviser and we have been comparing notes on what we know of the Indomitable Lions.

“We are concentrating now on getting quality friendly matches for the Eagles so that they too can be busy just as the Cameroonians were during the Nations Cup in Gabon.