Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos is confident that the team will qualify for the 2025 AFCON which will be held in Morocco.
His comments come as the team is currently in camp, ahead of the qualifiers against Uganda at the Orlando Stadium on Friday, and travel to South Sudan next Tuesday.
The coach said the team must draw strength from their previous games, which they won and build a momentum on that.
“When we go back to the last eight months of this year, I think we can be very happy with the results of Bafana Bafana. We had a very good AFCON, and came back with a bronze medal.
“After that, a friendly game against Algeria, very good and then the games against Zimbabwe and Nigeria in the World Cup qualifiers, also we had very good results.
“So that means, yeah, we are confident, and we believe in ourselves to start those qualifiers for AFCON 2025,” said Broos.
The Belgian mentor urged the players to start the qualifiers on a good start, adding that this would put pressure on their opponents.
The coach is adamant that with the current crop of players, the team is destined for greater heights.
Only Elias Mokwana, Sphephelo Sithole and Siyabonga Ngezana, were absent during the first day of training at the Dobsonville Stadium, but all players are expected to report for camp on Tuesday.
The coach sought to clarify why there was no call up for Al Ahly star, Percy Tau, describing him as not “mentally ready” for the next two games.
“First, the player knows why he’s not with us, he knows it, I told him, and there is no problem. That he doesn’t agree it’s another thing. But it’s a good thing, because it means he wants to play for Bafana Bafana. I know the criticism he gets after the Bafana Bafana games,” explained the coach.
Broos also highlighted that the player is unsettled at his club, following rumours that the coach isn’t happy and wants him offloaded.
“It is not clear because he hasn’t played for the last four weeks, there is a problem with the coach. I know this because I read about it in the papers. I don’t think for these two important and intensive matches against Uganda and South Sudan he will be mentally ready,” said Broos.
Bafana Bafna are in group K consisting of Uganda, Congo and South Sudan.
The two top finishers will qualify for the tournament to be hosted in Morocco from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.
