It’s been almost three years since Bafana Bafana boss Hugo Broos’s 1.8-metre tall frame swaggered into South African soccer, with a promise to leave his mark on the beautiful game in this country.

The 71-year-old Belgian was tasked with steering South Africa’s senior men’s soccer side to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon). This after Bafana Bafana had missed out on reaching the 2021 edition of Afcon, under the guidance of Molefi Ntseki.

That instance was just another one of many in recent history that had seen Bafana missing out on participating in Africa’s premier national team contest. Prior to that failure, they weren’t successful in qualifying for Afcon in 2010, 2012 and 2017.

Broos, who was victorious at Afcon in 2017, with what was an inexperienced Cameroon team at the time — promised South Africans that their country would be at the next Afcon during one of his early press conferences after being unveiled by the South African Football Association (Safa).

“After South Africa did not qualify for the 2021 Afcon, this is the moment to start to rebuild a younger team. Which may have some difficulties to qualify for the next World Cup. But [a team that] will be ready to maybe play an important role at the next Afcon,” Broos said in May 2021.

Bafana players celebrate victory and Afcon qualification with head coach Hugo Broos after beating Liberia in Monrovia on 28 March, 2023. (Photo: BackpagePix)

Fortune teller

One of those two assessments by the Belgian tactician has proven to be true. His Bafana team marginally missed out on reaching the third and final qualification round for the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar. They were pipped by Ghana on goals scored after finishing level on points, goal difference and head-to-head with the Black Stars.

The other prediction by Broos, which would see South Africa avoid being one of the also-rans during the Ivory Coast-hosted Afcon tournament, is set to be tested when the continental showpiece kicks off on 13 January.   

Bafana Bafana are grouped with 2004 Africa champions Tunisia, as well as Mali and Namibia. The minimum expectation is that they will exit their group and reach the knockout phase.

From then on, anything can happen — that is the beauty of tournaments. However, history is not on Bafana’s side.

If Broos manages to lead Bafana into the semifinal stages of Afcon it will be the best the country has managed since the 2000 edition, when they clinched bronze. In 2013 they made it into the quarterfinals. As was the case in 2019.

Aubrey Modiba with Hugo Broos, coach of South Africa during the Fifa World Cup Qualifiers 2026 match against Benin at Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban on 18 November, 2023. (Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix)

Blank canvas   

Broos believes the sky’s the limit for his Bafana Bafana side, especially as they swoop into the tournament as underdogs with little outside expectation that they’ll make any meaningful contribution during the month-long African soccer showcase.

“It’s an opportunity to show their skills. I said it to the players of Cameroon when we went to Gabon. Because everyone asked themselves what this team was going to do. Yet we won the Afcon,” Broos said.

“That means, for [this group of Bafana Bafana players], it’s very important to have great performances. To play well. To go as far as possible,” he added. 

Despite the team’s internal belief that they can do well, in the minds of many South Africans who have long thrown in the towel when it comes to the team, Bafana are just heading to Ivory Coast to make up the numbers.

The dwindling support for the national team has matched their regression since the time they won the 1996 Afcon; two years after South Africa held its first democratic elections.

The general disinterest in the senior men’s side was most evident when Bafana Bafana beat the Democratic Republic of Congo 1-0 in an international friendly back in September 2023. The Soweto-based Orlando Stadium was basically empty during that clash.

However, from the handful of supporters that were in attendance, the Congolese far outnumbered and outsang the South Africans. To the frustration of Broos.   

“I expected that there would be more supporters today because we produced good results [in previous matches],” the Belgian stated at the time. “Maybe we have to play more good games before the public comes back to the stadium.”

That poorly attended game came despite Bafana Bafana being on a nine-game unbeaten streak at the time. They added two draws and a win to that run. They were eventually defeated 2-0 by Rwanda in November 2023, during a 2026 World Cup qualifier.   

Nevertheless, many supporters — particularly on social media — poured cold water on their impressive record. Saying the opponents that Bafana had not lost to — such as Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Eswatini and Liberia — were cannon fodder.  

When the team arrives in Ivory Coast and kicks off its campaign against Mali on 16 January, it will be the perfect opportunity for Broos and his men to prove a point to the detractors. 

The minimal expectation from the general public may serve the team well too. DM