South Africa senior national football team coach Hugo Broos seems to be a firm believer in the saying that iron sharpens iron.

The Belgian’s belief in this wise saying seems evident in his insistence that Bafana Bafana can only improve by playing friendlies against tough opponents.

“I said it already, for me these are important games; difficult games, but I asked for difficult games.   In the past, I am told that it was not usual for South Africa to play tough friendly games,” he told South African Football Association website.

The Belgian said this ahead of Bafana Bafana’s forthcoming friendlies against Guinea on March 25 and France on March 29.

““I said it already when I came here [that] I did not understand why a country like South Africa was not always playing at the AFCON,” he added.

Bafana Bafana departed for Europe on Monday evening ahead of friendlies, which the AFCON winning coach Broos believes could help improve the team’s performance ahead of the qualifiers for the 2023 AFCON finals in Cote d’Ivoire.

He added that a team of South Africa profile deserves to always qualify for the AFCON finals.

Bafana Bafana were not part of the 2021 AFCON cast in Cameroon.

South Africa has since suffered a setback ahead of the warm ups with Al Ahly striker Percy Tau withdrawing from the travelling squad due to an injury.

He has since been replaced by Royal AM’s Victor Letsoalo.