Bafana Bafana optimistic following AFCON group draw

In a much-anticipated event held in Rabat, Morocco, the draw for the 2025 CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has unveiled the groups, and Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos expressed his satisfaction with the outcome.

The South African national team finds itself placed in Group B alongside football heavyweights Egypt, and regional neighbours Zimbabwe, and Angola.

Broos believes that although the group is challenging, they have a concrete chance of advancing to the knockout stages of the tournament.

“So, in general, I think we can be satisfied. It is not a very easy group. On the other hand, I think we have a great opportunity to qualify for the next round of the AFCON. And then as you know, in the AFCON,” Broos reflected after the draw.

He emphasised the unpredictability inherent in the tournament and the potential for anything to transpire after the group stage, mentioning their last AFCON performance where Bafana Bafana clinched a bronze medal in Côte d’Ivoire.

Broos seemed particularly wary of Egypt, calling them the primary threat in the group. “When I look at our opponents for AFCON, I think that Egypt is the favourite to win the group,” he stated.

Despite Egypt’s dismal performance at the last AFCON, where they exited earlier than anticipated, the team has since made notable strides and boasts a strong lineup proven through their successful qualification campaign.

“They did very well in the qualifiers, so they will be the team to beat for first place,” Broos asserted.

The coach also addressed the repeated encounters with Zimbabwe, marking this AFCON as their fourth meeting. Previous games saw Bafana Bafana victorious three times, with one match ending in a draw. The intensity of the rivalry, fuelled by geographical proximity, invariably ensures a fiercely contested game.

“On the other hand, in all the games we played already against Zimbabwe, we played one draw, and we won three times,” Broos added.

An enigmatic team to Broos is Angola, whose style and capabilities he has not yet thoroughly analysed.

“Angola is for me a team I don’t know really very well. So, it will be very important to do a good analysis of our opponent Angola, and to be well prepared to play that game,” he noted.

Having finished Group K undefeated during the qualifiers, ending at the summit, the AFCON bronze medallists have cultivated a reputation as one of the toughest teams on the continent. The upcoming AFCON offers a fresh opportunity to build on their recent successes as they seek to improve upon their previous outings.

Bafana Bafana is also gearing up for the resumption of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, with home matches against Lesotho and an away game to Benin lined up for March 2025.