Afcon exit hurts, but Bafana Bafana’s foundations under Broos are strong

No sports fan enjoys being on the losing side. So it is understandable that a number of South African soccer lovers are still reeling from Bafana Bafana’s ill-fated Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) campaign.

Bafana Bafana were eliminated in the round of 16 of the ongoing 2025 Afcon, which is taking place in Morocco. Hugo Broos’ team was sent packing on the back of a 2-1 loss to five-time African champions Cameroon. It was a regression from reaching the semifinals for the first time in more than two decades at the Ivory Coast-hosted 2023 edition.

“It was very tough after the game against Cameroon. For me, but also for South Africans. We wanted to come back with the trophy and there were possibilities for us. We had the talent. But Afcon is a very tough tournament and you need some luck, too,” Broos told SABC from OR Tambo International Airport after the team arrived in South Africa.

He added that he and his players had had enough time together to create the chemistry and camaraderie needed to perform well at this Afcon, something which he bemoaned at the previous Afcon tournament.

“That was not the problem. We have to make a deep analysis of what happened in the last four or five weeks, to see what we can do better for the upcoming months – including the World Cup,” Broos said.

Solid foundation laid

Despite the disappointing outcome for Bafana Bafana, the team remains in a healthier state than the one Broos found it in when he was appointed in May 2021. When the South African Football Association (Safa) recruited the Belgian coach, who was 69 years old at the time, coaching Bafana Bafana was the equivalent of career suicide.

However, when Broos brings down the curtain on his South African tenure after the 2026 Fifa World Cup in North America, his successor will take over a stable Bafana Bafana. He will take over a team that has once again learnt the art of qualifying for successive tournaments.

Of course, merely qualifying for tournaments should not be an achievement. Especially for a country as well resourced as South Africa.

But prior to Broos, Bafana Bafana’s presence at major tournaments was as predictable as a coin toss. Under the Belgian mentor the team have qualified for two successive Afcons and a fourth World Cup since readmission.

Safa, for all its flaws as a federation, has acknowledged the work that Broos has done to restore Bafana’s pride. They have provided him with the space to do his work in peace.

Hence the Belgian, 73, is now Bafana’s longest-serving head coach, surpassing the great Clive Barker. The only coach to guide South Africa to overall Afcon glory lasted four years in the job.

In May, Broos will celebrate his fifth year at the helm. In the fyears prior to his arrival, a Bafana Bafana coach was fortunate to stay two years in the job. But after seeing Broos’ vision, Safa backed him.

Now the next person who takes over the reins when the Belgian departs in a few months has a solid foundation from which to build.

One of the positives is a group of South Africans who care about how Bafana perform. Before Broos, the vast majority of South Africans were not bothered about the national team – apathy was the general consensus. Stadiums were empty.

Bright future

Now Bafana Bafana fill up stadiums when they play at home. People celebrate when the team wins. They are angry when it loses. People care about the team, for better or worse. That is Broos’ biggest achievement. The next Bafana coach will need to build on this foundation.

Despite Broos leading South Africa to its first World Cup appearance since 2010 (when the team qualified as hosts), there have been some calls for him to vacate his seat even before the global soccer spectacle. The Belgian says he is not perturbed by this and is focused on finishing off his time in South Africa in the best possible manner.

“When you win matches, you don’t have people against you. People only start talking when there is a defeat. That’s what’s happening now,” Broos said.

“I’ve coached for nearly 40 years and I’ve experienced those things. People are frustrated and they start talking. For me, it’s something that I don’t even listen to or read. I’m not on social media,” he said.

At the 2026 World Cup, which begins on 11 June and will be co-hosted by Mexico, the US and Canada, Bafana Bafana are targeting a first-ever qualification for the knockout stage. DM