With Bafana Bafana currently on a high after securing qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, former national team striker Bernard Parker shared his opinion on how the team has been thriving. Parker pointed out Mamelodi Sundowns forward Iqraam Rayners as an example and how much the player has flourished in national colours. The former Kaizer Chiefs attacker believes that it’s the mentorship and style of coaching that has reignited the team’s spark according to a report by IOL. “The most difficult thing in football is scoring goals. We all work so hard to be able to score that goal in a split second, and coach Hugo Broos has been very direct in his approach – and has been very direct in telling his players they have to be effective,” Parker remarked. “We now see the likes of (Evidence) Makgopa, the likes of (Iqraam) Rayners – a player who didn’t make it at SuperSport, goes back to Stellenbosch to prove himself, and has now continued that with (Mamelodi) Sundowns and Bafana. “Coach Broos has made sure that with the attacking flair that we’ve got, we also become more effective and score more goals with the chances that we create.” Parker highlighted the significance of the mental enhancements that Broos has introduced to his team. “We as strikers, when we miss, we lose confidence. But Broos has psyched the guys up to believe that it’s okay to miss – just as long as you’re creating more,” he added. “You create 10, you score one. Then you create 20, you score two. But the most important thing is making sure we play to get goals.”