Broos To Review AFCON Campaign

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has stressed the importance of a thorough review of South Africa’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign following their disappointing elimination by Cameroon.

Broos’ side suffered a 2–1 defeat to the Indomitable Lions in the round of 16 on Sunday. The loss came against a Cameroonian team previously coached by the Belgian mentor, who guided them to their fifth AFCON title in 2017 in Gabon.

The defeat was a significant setback for Bafana Bafana, who had been unbeaten in open play for more than 25 matches and were also bronze medallists at the 2023 AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire.

It also marked Bafana Bafana’s first-ever AFCON defeat to Cameroon. In their previous meeting at the tournament in 1996, South Africa beat the Indomitable Lions 3–0 in the opening match and went on to lift the AFCON trophy as hosts.

Despite the disappointment, the 73-year-old coach accepted the outcome and insisted that a detailed assessment of the campaign is necessary to correct mistakes and improve ahead of future tournaments.

“I think now it’s time to evaluate this AFCON, as we did after the last AFCON, to see what was good and what went wrong,” Broos said.

“We will look at both the positives and the negatives and try to be better. When you lose a game like this, you need to understand what happened so you can explain it to yourself and to the supporters.

“I will review and evaluate this AFCON, assess our performances, and see what we can improve for the next tournament.”

Bafana Bafana will now turn their attention to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico in June and July.

The 1996 African champions will return to the global showpiece after missing out on the 2014, 2018, and 2022 editions.

South Africa will open their World Cup campaign against Mexico, a repeat of the 2010 tournament opener played in South Africa. The match is scheduled for 11 June in Mexico City.

Bafana Bafana have been drawn in Group A alongside co-hosts Mexico and South Korea, with the final group participant to be confirmed in March.

The last spot will be decided via the UEFA playoffs, involving Denmark, North Macedonia, the Czech Republic, and Ireland, with the winner qualifying for the World Cup.