Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has declared that things will be different at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), following South Africa’s remarkable run to the bronze medal in the previous edition and their successful qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Against all odds, Bafana Bafana reached the AFCON semi-finals in Ivory Coast, stunning the continent with their performances. Although they lost to Nigeria, they went on to beat DR Congo on penalties to claim third place — their first AFCON medal in 24 years, since the 2000 edition.
That campaign, played in 2024 after being postponed due to Covid-19, marked a major turning point for South African football.
This time, Bafana have built on that success by qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, finishing top of their qualification group despite being docked three points for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, against Lesotho in March.
With growing expectations from fans and opponents alike, Broos has urged his players to continue their progression and embrace the new challenge ahead.
“I think for us, it will be a little bit different now going into the next AFCON, because we are now South Africans in a different sense than we were two years ago,” said Broos.
“Back then, no one expected much from us. But with the performances and results we’ve achieved since then, our opponents will prepare for us differently this time around.”
Broos believes the team must now prove they can handle being seen as serious contenders.
“That’s the next step we have to take. If we can match or even improve on our last AFCON results, the progression we’ve made over the past two or three years is enormous,” he explained.
“I wouldn’t want us to go to AFCON and, in the worst case, come back home after the group stages — that would be very disappointing. We must try to avoid that.”
Despite acknowledging the difficulty of the challenge ahead, Broos remains optimistic about his squad’s quality and mentality.
“I’m confident because I know this group — the quality is there, the mentality is there, the talent is there,” he added.
“Of course, anything can happen in football, but I don’t expect us to fall short. Honestly, I’d be very surprised if we came back home after just three group-stage games.
“We’re also aware that other teams will approach us differently this time.”
Before the tournament kicks off, Bafana Bafana will find out their World Cup group-stage opponents when the draw takes place on 5 December in the United States.
The AFCON will then run from 21 December to 18 January in Morocco.
Broos and his squad are currently in camp preparing for their final friendly before the continental showpiece, when they face Zambia at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday.
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