South Africa Coach Hugo Broos Confirms Bafana Bafana’s Readiness for AFCON 2025
- South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has confirmed his team's readiness ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
- AFCON 2025 kicks off, and Bafana Bafana will hope to go better than their third-place finish in 2023
- The one-time champion is drawn in Group B alongside Egypt, Angola and neighbours Zimbabwe
South Africa’s head coach, Hugo Broos, has confirmed his team's readiness ahead of the start of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The biggest football competition in Africa kicks off on Sunday, December 21, 2025, as 24 nations compete for supremacy on the continent.
Source: Getty Images
Host Morocco will hope to follow in the footsteps of 2023 hosts Cote d'Ivoire, who won the tournament on home soil, beating Nigeria in the final.
Hugo Broos confirms readiness
South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has confirmed his Bafana Bafana side's readiness for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, as the tournament draws closer.
Broos claimed that his team is ready for the tournament and understands that their opponents have also improved, but will rely on his team’s experience.
“We did very well two years ago at AFCON 2023, and we can’t be happy if we don’t come back with the same result,” he told The Star.
“The only thing we have to do is achieve the highest level, and I know these players can do that. It was the same last time, but the pressure is different now.”
“We want to bring back home gold that’s for sure, but this is a very tough tournament.”
South Africa is drawn in Group B alongside the Antelopes of Angola, the Pharaohs of Egypt and neighbours, the Warriors of Zimbabwe.
Bafana Bafana arrived in Morocco on Thursday after beating the Black Stars of Ghana in a friendly match, and Broos added that they must carry that winning feeling into their opening match against Angola.
“It is vital that we don’t lose that game. We saw at the last AFCON we lost against Mali, and then we struggled in our second match,” he cautioned.
Source: Getty Images
As noted by CAF, Broos is one of the experienced managers in the tournament, having led the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon to their fifth title in 2017.
He has been in charge of the Bafana Bafana since 2021 and led Mzansi to the bronze medal in 2023, beating Morocco on the way to finishing in third place.
South Africa has not won the African Cup since surprising the continent and winning the gold trophy in their first appearance in 1996.
Bafana Bafana will open their campaign against Angola on December 22, before facing Egypt on December 26 and a derby against Zimbabwe on December 29.
Supercomputer predicts AFCON 2025 winner
Legit.ng reported that Opta's supercomputer predicted Morocco as the winner of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, as the North Africans prepare to host the continent.
The supercomputer places South Africa in 10th place with a 2.2% chance of winning the tournament, which means Broos and his players have to defy the odds.
Source: Legit.ng
