Disgraceful Bafana To Return On Wednesday

Bafana Bafana, who left many South Africans disappointed, will return home on Wednesday morning after being knocked out in the round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations.

South Africa were eliminated by Cameroon following a 2–1 defeat on Sunday, capping a largely uninspiring campaign in which they struggled to find form throughout the tournament.

It marked the first time Bafana Bafana had been beaten by Cameroon at AFCON, and Central Africa’s first victory over South Africa since 1992.

Although Bafana won two of their four matches, they were never convincing in their performances, despite finishing second in Group B, one point behind group leaders Egypt.

Their exit at the round-of-16 stage stands in stark contrast to their showing at the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast, where they reached the semi-finals and went on to claim the bronze medal by defeating DR Congo on penalties. It was South Africa’s first bronze finish at the tournament since the 2000 edition.

There were expectations that Bafana would build on that success, but their campaign in Morocco fell well short of those standards.

The tournament also marked the final AFCON appearance for head coach Hugo Broos, who is set to step down after the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

As Bafana Bafana return from a disappointing tournament, Broos said the team will conduct a thorough evaluation of their performances as they shift focus to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is fast approaching.