Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos paid tribute to Teboho Mokoena after the midfielder earned his 50th cap during a comfortable 3-1 win against Zambia in an international friendly match played at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Goals from Oswin Appollis, Mohau Nkota and Sphephelo Sithole were enough to give the South African senior men\u2019s national team a victory that will have given Broos some insight into the personnel at his disposal ahead of the announcement of the final squad for next month\u2019s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Sipho Mbule provided assists in two of the goals and the visitors eventually found a late consolation strike through Sabobo Banda to make the final score a lot respectable.<\/p>\n
\u201cI congratulate him, certainly. It is not everyone who earns 50 caps and now he will even have even more (in the future). Teboho Mokoena has become one of the most important South African national team players,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Broos had said before the game that he would not treat this clash as a friendly and he urged his players to put in the work against South Africa\u2019s COSAFA neighbours.<\/p>\n
Zambia stand-in coach Perry Mtapa revealed that they knew it was never going to be easy playing against an opponent that he said they have watched grow stronger and stronger in the last four years under Broos.<\/p>\n
South African Football Association President Dr Danny Jordaan congratulated the team and said they continue to make the country proud.<\/p>\n