Hugo Broos Warns of Tougher Test Awaiting Bafana Bafana at AFCON 2025
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has struck a cautious tone ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. He warned that South Africa faces a far more demanding challenge in Morocco than during their recent bronze-medal run.
His assessment came after Bafana Bafana edged a Ghana B side 1–0 in their final warm-up match at Dobsonville Stadium on Tuesday.
While the narrow victory offered encouragement, Hugo Broos used the occasion to underline how much African football has evolved, insisting that past success will offer no guarantees in the upcoming tournament.
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A Group With No Breathing Space
South Africa has been drawn into a competitive Group B, opening their campaign against Angola on Monday, 22 December.
That fixture is followed by a heavyweight encounter with seven-time champions Egypt, before a potentially decisive Southern African derby against Zimbabwe concludes the group stage.
According to Hugo Broos, the sequence of fixtures leaves no room for a slow start, with each match demanding peak performance.
Pressure Has Shifted
Hugo Broos acknowledged that expectations around the team have changed following their unbeaten qualifying campaign and strong showing at the last AFCON, FARPost reveals.
He stressed that the pressure now is different, even if the core group of players remains capable of rising to the challenge.
“The only thing we have to do is achieve the highest level, and I know these players can do that. But the pressure is different now,” said Broos.
AFCON as a Career-Defining Stage
The Belgian coach also highlighted the personal stakes driving teams at the tournament, noting that AFCON often doubles as a shop window for players seeking moves to bigger leagues.
“Every team is 150 percent motivated. For many players, this is the moment to show their quality and maybe earn a transfer. That makes every opponent dangerous,” Broos explained.
No More Underdogs
Broos was emphatic that the traditional gap between Africa’s powerhouses and emerging nations has narrowed significantly. He dismissed the notion that any team could be considered an easy opponent in Morocco.
“There are no weak teams anymore. In every group, there will be war, and we must be ready for that,” he warned.
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The post No Easy Games: Hugo Broos Issues AFCON Warning to Bafana Bafana appeared first on iHarare News.
