Bafana Bafana focused on Zimbabwean challenge after falling short against Egypt

In tournament soccer, there is little time to mope around in the aftermath of a disappointing result. It’s important to keep moving. Someone as experienced as Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos knows this well.

He will impart this wisdom to his players ahead of their crucial final group-stage game against Zimbabwe at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), taking place in Morocco.

South Africa went down 1-0 to seven-time African champions Egypt on Friday, 26 December. Broos and his men felt aggrieved by some of the key refereeing decisions taken on the day.

They are particularly disappointed at the decision that saw Egypt earn a penalty in the dying stages of the first half, which Mohamed Salah dispatched. Bafana Bafana are also aggrieved at the decision to deny them a penalty towards the end of the game, with the team’s shout for a handball inside the Egyptian box dismissed by referee Pacifique Ndabihawenimana.

Keep walking

Nevertheless, what’s done is done and all the team can do now is face forward.

“The first thing we have to do is forget about the Egypt game. It’s finished, and we can’t change anything. Even we are angry and frustrated about what happened,” Broos said.

Up next for Bafana Bafana, the 1996 African champions, is a tough customer in the form of Zimbabwe. The two teams tussle on Monday, 29 December, at 6pm.

On paper, the South Africans are stronger than their neighbours. However, clashes against the Warriors are always challenging.

As recently as October 2025 – in a Fifa World Cup qualifier – Zimbabwe put up a brave fight to frustrate the South Africans with a 0-0 stalemate at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

The result meant Broos’s troops were forced to wait until their final group game against Rwanda (which they won 3-0) to book their ticket to the 2026 World Cup, set to be hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.

Stubborn Warriors

When Bafana and the Warriors rekindle their rivalry in Marrakesh on Monday evening, the Zimbabweans will be targeting a similar performance. Or even better – a win. The latter result is unlikely though.

The last time Zimbabwe vanquished South Africa was in 2013, when they secured a 2-1 win during an international friendly. Recent results have favoured Bafana Bafana.

Of the four official matches played by the sides since that 2013 success for the Warriors, two have ended in victory for South Africa. The other two have both concluded with nil-all draws.

With the Zimbabweans aware that a victory is the only result that will keep them alive in the tournament, this latest encounter will be even tougher for the South Africans. They will also be under more pressure compared to their opponents.

The weight of expectation

Ahead of Afcon 2025, which began on 21 December and will conclude on 18 January, some avid followers of soccer backed South Africa to do better than the 2023 tournament – where they claimed bronze.

The South Africans have been punted to replicate the overall result they managed at Afcon 1996 on home soil. The late Clive Barker coached a star-studded Bafana Bafana to gold after they beat Tunisia 2-0 in the decider.

Broos’s Bafana do not boast as many household names as that 1996 generation. However, they have shown similar team spirit and hunger as their predecessors; particularly over the past two years. Hence the high expectations for the 2025 title, alongside nations such as Morocco, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Algeria.

They will need to showcase why they have been placed in the same category as the aforementioned heavyweights of African soccer when they meet the Warriors.

Attack from the onset

Broos showed too much respect to Egypt by picking a super-defensive lineup, with three conservative midfielders in Teboho Mokoena, Sphephelo Sithole and Thalente Mbatha. Against Zimbabwe there is no room for such caution. Bafana Bafana must attack from the onset.

“Now our focus is on Zimbabwe. We know we have the quality to beat Zimbabwe. But Zimbabwe also has just one point [so far in the tournament]. So, they are also thinking they can beat us. It’s always a difficult game when we play them,” Broos said.

“But we are confident. Just because we lost the game against Egypt, does not mean the confidence is gone. We will be ready to win that game against Zimbabwe. If we win that game, we will be in the second round. Then we will see what happens from there,” the 73-year-old added.

In case of defeat against the Zimbabweans, Bafana Bafana will have to wait for results in the other groups. With three points registered after their 2-1 win over Angola, they would be contenders to qualify for the knockout round via the back door – as one of the four best third-placed finishers.

Only the top two teams in each group of the six groups qualify directly for the next round of 16.

Then four teams placed third that have the healthiest haul of points sneak into the second round as well. This route has no guarantees though. So it will be important for Bafana Bafana to ensure qualification themselves by beating Zimbabwe. DM