Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos says South Africa is at a disadvantage because many teams at the Africa Cup of Nations have players competing in Europe’s top leagues. He believes local players need more opportunities to play in Europe to gain experience at the highest level.
He was speaking during the return of Bafana Bafana return form Afcon at OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday.
Broos says even organising international friendly matches against top teams would not provide sufficient preparation for the FIFA World Cup.
“So let’s hope that, in the future, players will get opportunities to go to Europe, play in those difficult competitions and face those challenges,” he said.
He adds that consistent qualification for major international tournaments is crucial to raising the team’s standard.
“It’s not because you play one game against Argentina, or one against Ghana, that your level suddenly goes up,” Broos said.
Bafana Bafana have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time since 2002.
