Johannesburg – South Africa head coach Hugo Broos is focused on ensuring Bafana Bafana begin the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with authority as competition for places in the final squad intensifies.
Bafana open their Group B campaign against Angola on December 22. Broos wants to avoid a slow start like their last AFCON when they stumbled against Mali. He said readiness and sharpness will matter more than the number of warm-up matches.
“We just have to make sure the team is at 100 percent,” Broos said. “We don’t want to start this AFCON like we did the last time. We want to win the first game.”
The team’s recent 3-1 win over Zambia provided fringe players a chance to stake their claim ahead of the 23-man squad announcement in early December. Broos noted that while some players showed promise, evaluating performances remains ongoing.
“Today we gave playing time to players who haven’t played so much in the past,” he said. “We saw how they react and adapt to the team tactics. I am certainly not 100 percent, but I wanted to see what I saw today.”
One player catching the coach’s eye is 21-year-old TS Galaxy defender Khulumani Ndamane. Though slightly hesitant against Zambia, Broos praised his display against Rwanda in the World Cup qualifiers, suggesting he remains in contention.
“Ndamane … today he was a bit hesitant, but we saw him against Rwanda and he was very good. It is not easy to come into the game,” Broos noted.
Broos acknowledged the depth of talent has made squad selection more difficult than two years ago. “We have more than 23 players who can go and who deserve to go,” he said. “Some of the decisions will be painful for the players, but also for me. It is not such a nice thing to drop players.”
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