Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has promised there will be no mercy as South Africa face Cameroon tonight in the Africa Cup of Nations last 16 clash in Morocco. Speaking at a pre-match press conference posted online by Lorenz Kohler, Broos acknowledged the personal significance of facing a team he led to the 2017 AFCON title but stressed his focus is on securing a win for South Africa.
Broos voiced concerns over tournament logistics, revealing that the squad has been travelling nearly 45 minutes each way to training sessions in Rabat. “That means that like yesterday we were more than 3 hours away to have training. 45 minutes to drive, 1 hour 50 minutes training and another 45 minutes to drive. It doesn’t make me happy,” he said, noting that previous tournaments in Gabon and Ivory Coast had training grounds much closer to team hotels.
Reflecting on Cameroon’s current squad, Broos said the team has changed significantly since the World Cup qualifiers. “It’s a very good team. It’s a young team. There are some talented players. There’s a good fighting spirit, a good mentality. That means tonight we have to achieve our best level if we want to beat them,” he said.
Broos also dismissed any notion of revenge for being sacked just 10 months after winning the 2017 AFCON with Cameroon. “No revenge at all. I just want to beat Cameroon because I’m coach of South Africa,” he said.
Midfielder Teboho Mokoena told reporters the squad is motivated and ready for the knockout stage. “We must do better than we did in the last AFCON. We have packed enough clothes to make it here until the end,” he said, adding that the team is focused on collective performance rather than individual achievements. He noted that the tournament’s overall standard has risen, with teams like Morocco learning from past mistakes.
Broos also commented on the rise of African coaches in recent tournaments, saying local tacticians deserve more trust and time to succeed. “People always think that foreign coaches are better than local coaches. Why? Sometimes you have to put more confidence in a local coach and maybe give him some more time to prove something,” he said, pointing to recent results across the continent as evidence of their capability.
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