AFCON 2023: Watch out, Bafana Bafana are back with an African champion on the bench!
AFCON 2023: Watch out, Bafana Bafana are back! South Africa missed the last edition in Cameroon.
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Absent from the last edition in Cameroon, South Africa are back at the Africa Cup of Nations. In Ivory Coast, they will be making their 11th appearance. Quarter-finalists in Egypt in 2019, Bafana Bafana return to the tournament full of confidence. In a tough Group E that includes Mali and Tunisia, South Africa could cause a stir. And the South Africans have good reasons to believe, notably a prestige win over Morocco (2-1) in the group stage of qualifying for AFCON 2023. They even outplayed the 2022 World Cup semi-finalists. They then held Ivory Coast to a draw (1-1) in a friendly. However, Broos's men were caught out by Rwanda (2-0) in 2026 World Cup qualifying.
Hugo Broos, a born winner
Appointed Bafana Bafana head coach in 2021, Hugo Broos has turned things around and met his objective: qualifying South Africa for the Africa Cup of Nations. It is a competition in which he shone with Cameroon, the first African national team he managed. The Belgian coach led the Indomitable Lions to the top of the continent in 2017. And he wants to repeat that feat with the Rainbow Nation. Broos's side will probably rely on home-based players. He has already published a list of 50 players, featuring names well known in the South African league.
Broos and his squad will prepare in South Africa. The 1996 African champions will gather for a camp on 4 January 2024, then head to Stellenbosch for a training camp in the Western Cape town until 9 January. Bafana Bafana will then play a friendly against Lesotho behind closed doors at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville, before flying to Ivory Coast on 11 January 2024.
Percy Tau, Bafana Bafana's spearhead
To cause a stir in Ivory Coast, Broos can count on Percy Tau, one of this South African side's attacking weapons. The South African forward shines on the continent, notably with his club, Al Ahly. The 29-year-old is the spearhead of the Cairo side, with whom he won the CAF Champions League. His performances also earned him the African Inter-Club Player of the Year award at the CAF Awards 2023. A product of South African football, the former Brighton player excelled with Mamelodi Sundowns before joining Al Ahly. Thanks to his performances with the Egyptian club, Tau is once again being courted in Europe. At the Africa Cup of Nations, he will show all his talent to attract even more interest.