Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos admitted he wasn’t anticipating a bronze medal return from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, reflecting on how the team defied expectations despite initial doubts.
Leading South Africa to their first AFCON medal in 24 years, Broos acknowledged the pre-tournament skepticism surrounding the squad that missed the previous edition. “It’s hard to put into words… honestly, I didn’t expect this,” he confessed at the team hotel.
He recalled the difficult group draw, including powerhouse Morocco, but noted the team’s prior victory over them instilled confidence. “The guys knew it was possible,” he emphasised. “After Morocco, I said ‘we can reach the final’. It was a fantastic experience, not just for the players but also the bench.”
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Broos admitted the criticism following his squad announcement fueled his determination to prove doubters wrong. “There’s always pride,” he said. “When there’s no belief, it’s natural to want to show the opposite. But that’s not the main reason. You just want to do well.”
He reiterated his initial surprise upon arriving in South Africa, pointing to the national team’s past results as indicative of needing improvement. “This country needs to show better results than what we’ve seen in the last ten years,” he declared.
Bafana will now turn their focus to the FIFA World Cup qualifiers where they are in the same group with Rwanda, Benin, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Lesotho.
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They play their next game against the Super Eagles in June and will be looking to bounce back to winning ways after losing to Rwanda in their second match of the campaign.
Interestingly, it was Nigeria who knocked them out of the semi finals of the just ended AFCON in Ivory Coast. The two teams had played a 1-1 draw after extra time, with Nigeria winning it after the penalty shootout, thanks to the heroics of Chippa United goalkeeper.
Bafana opened the 2026 campaign with a 2-1 win over Benin in Durban.