Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos says he does not want a repeat of what happened at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, where South Africa started the tournament with a defeat.
Broos believes the preparation for the upcoming AFCON is far better than last year, noting that Bafana Bafana have continued to show growth and maturity as a team.
South Africa will head into the AFCON—scheduled to take place in Morocco from 21 December to 18 January 2026—in a positive space after securing qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup last month.
They will learn their World Cup group-stage opponents on 5 December when the official draw is conducted.
With that draw taking place before AFCON kicks off, Broos says starting the tournament on a stronger note is one of his top priorities. Last year, Bafana Bafana lost their opening match 2–0 to Mali.
Despite that setback, they recovered impressively and advanced to the semi-finals, where they were beaten by Nigeria. They eventually claimed the bronze medal by defeating DR Congo on penalties in the third-place playoff.
It was South Africa’s first AFCON medal since 2002, but Broos is aiming even higher this time as they prepare to open their campaign against Angola on 22 December.
“I want to win the first game because that gives you a big advantage in the group phase,” said Broos, whose side beat Zambia 3–1 in their last friendly match at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday.
“When you don’t win the first game, like last year, you’re forced to win the second one, and the third match becomes uncertain. We want to avoid that and make sure we win our opening game against Angola.”
Broos is no stranger to success in this competition; he won the 2017 AFCON with Cameroon after defeating Egypt in the final.
The Belgian coach confirmed that he will announce his preliminary AFCON squad—expected to include more than 50 players—early in December before trimming it down to the required 26-man final list.
After facing Angola in their opening Group B encounter, Bafana Bafana will also take on Egypt and Zimbabwe.
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