Broos Eyes World Cup Glory After AFCON Qualification

Now that Bafana Bafana has sumptuously qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco in fine style, coach Hugo Broos says he wants to take South Africa to the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.  

Bafana Bafana beat South Sudan 3-0 in the last AFCON qualifying match at Cape Town Stadium on Tuesday, a formality game, as they had booked their spot with two games to spare.  

Broos has now become the first coach to lead South Africa to consecutive AFCON finals. This achievement follows their bronze medal finish at the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast, where they defeated DR Congo on penalties.

“I wanted to finish this year on a high note, with a significant win, and we’ve achieved that,” said Broos. “We now have a strong team, and while there are crucial games ahead, we’re confident. Every game is a challenge, but we have a real chance to qualify for the World Cup.”

Broos, a former defender, has firsthand experience of both playing in and coaching at the World Cup. He was part of his country Belgium’s side that lost the bronze medal in the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, losing 4-2 to France after extra time.  

In that game, Broos was on the bench. Belgium played for the bronze medal after the late Diego Maradona scored twice for Argentina to knock them out in the semifinals.    

As a coach, Broos qualified Cameroon to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, but they lost all matches, conceding nine goals and scoring just once, which came in a 4-1 loss to the hosts Brazil  

“I did qualify as a player and I have been there as a coach, it should be fantastic not only for me but also for this country which was waiting already to qualify for the World Cup and the players,” said Broos.  

“I think that it has been fantastic in the last three years. At first, we had a very difficult period in getting the right players, but you see where we are now and I think South Africa has again have a very good thing.” 

The last time South Africa qualified for the World Cup was in 2002 but the last time they featured was in 2010 when they were the host nation. The 2026 World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, presents a golden opportunity for Bafana Bafana to return to the global stage.

Picture courtesy of KMSnapsGraphics in Cape Town