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Eddie Chikamhi
Senior Sports Reporter
IT’S set to be a battle between an AFCON winner and one set to make his debut at the Nations Cup finals.

This time, though, they will be fighting in a World Cup qualifying match.

Hugo Broos, who was unveiled as the Bafana Bafana coach yesterday, won the 2017 Nations Cup, with the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.

His first match might be against Zdravko Logarusic, the Croatian gaffer, who guided the Warriors, over the line, to the 2021 AFCON finals.

Zimbabwe are set to host South Africa, in a 2022 World Cup qualifier, at the National Sports Stadium, in the first week of next month.

SAFA had been expected to name Benni McCarthy, Bafana Bafana’s all-time leading goal-scorer, as the new coach.

And, Broos was set to be unveiled yesterday as the new coach of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

However, dramatic developments, on both sides, ended with the SAFA leaders luring Broos into their camp.

The 69-year-old Belgian signed a five-year contract, which will be expected to take him to the 2026 World Cup finals.

He will be earning around US$50 000 per month, which is almost seven times the US$7 000 that Loga pockets every month.

SAFA said on their website Broos was expected in South Africa next week where he is scheduled to meet all football stakeholders.

Broos told the SAFA website, from his base in Europe, that he was excited to take charge of one of the biggest brands on the African continent.

“South Africa has a rich football history and is among the powerhouse on the continent,’’ he said.

“The country has full of quality and I am coming to coach a truly football nation with massive potential.”

His priority would be to build a completely new Bafana Bafana team, which will make huge statement, in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

“My main focus will be to weave in new players, who have hunger and desire, to achieve things.

“Young players are ambitious and want to prove a point.

“need to start from there because I want to build a strong Bafana Bafana side for the future.

“This is a really exciting project and I am really excited,’’ he said.

The appointment of Broos ended weeks of speculation after several names, including ex-Bafana Bafana coaches, Carlos Queiroz and Pitso Mosimane, were also thrown into the fray.

The Belgian will replace Molefi Ntseki, who was sacked recently, after failing to qualify for the 2021 AFCON finals.

Warriors coach Loga is today expected to name his squad, for the match against Bafana Bafana, set for next month.

Both Broos and Loga started coaching in 1988.

They are also in their second national team jobs.

Before coming to Zimbabwe, Loga had only coached Sudan, between 2017 and 2019.

At club level, he had stints in Europe, Asia, Oceania, North America before he turned Africa into his base, in the last decade.

Broos spent his three decades of coaching mainly at club level in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

Apart from winning several silverware, with clubs in his native Belgium, his major coaching highlight was winning the AFCON title with Cameroon, four years ago.

The Bafana Bafana appointment is his second national team job.

Previously, he had managed Club Brugge and Anderlecht to Belgian league titles, and was named the country’s Coach of the Year, on four separate occasions.

He has also coached in Algeria, Greece, Qatar and Turkey, and last worked as technical director of the Belgian club KV Oostende.

Bafana Bafana and Zimbabwe have met 15 times, in World Cup qualifiers, AFCON qualifiers, COSAFA Cup and international friendlies.

Despite losing the only two World Cup qualifying matches they have played against Bafana Bafana, the Warriors still boast of a better head-to-head against their neighbours.

Zimbabwe have won seven of the encounters and lost six while two ended in a stalemate.

But South Africa have had more success, than their northern neighbours, who are yet to qualify for the global stage.

Bafana Bafana’s third and last World Cup appearance was in 2010, when they hosted the event, after bring the tournament to Africa, for the first time in history.

They are keen to return to the global stage after missing the last two editions in Brazil (2014) and Russia (2018).