Broos counts on Bafana’s surging mentality as he starts 2025 Afcon with challenges

Hugo Broos says once-brittle Bafana Bafana might have to rely on their growing mental strength to earn the six points he is seeking from their first two 2025 Africa Cup of Nations group stage qualifiers against Uganda and South Sudan. 

South Africa kick off their Group K campaign with a notable clash on Friday night at Orlando Stadium against Uganda (6pm), a team also coached by a Belgian, Paul Put, who Broos says he knows well and respects. The Cranes, ranked 94th in the world, are South Africa's toughest group opponents and a home win seems essential. 

Bafana meet 169th-ranked minnows South Sudan, qualifiers past Sao Tome and Principe on away goals in a preliminary round, in Juba next week Tuesday. 

By Monday's assembly day 20 players had arrived in camp for training at Dobsonville Stadium. Three more are expected later — Esperance de Tunis signing Elias Mokwana on Monday night and Sphephelo Sithole of Portuguese side Gil Vicente and Siyabonga Ngezana of FCSB in Romania on Tuesday morning. 

For Broos, the huge positive going into the 2025 qualifiers is one of the best first eight months of a year on record for Bafana where they not only had their best Nations Cup finish of third in Ivory Coast, but did not let up after that. South Africa's impressive form continued with a 3-3 friendly away draw against Algeria, then strong World Cup qualifying results with a 2-2 draw in Nigeria and 3-1 home win against Zimbabwe.

Broos's record of the last two years and three months is now becoming fairly remarkable with just two defeats in 27 senior games. That gives Bafana newfound confidence and, dare one say it, even some swagger. 

The flip side is the Betway Premiership, largely because of the scramble for a sponsor after DStv pulled out a year early, kicks of spectacularly late in 2024-25 and many players in Broos's squad who have not been in the MTN8 or continental matches are yet to kick a ball in anger. 

“When we look back at the first eight months of this year I think we can be very happy with the results of Bafana Bafana,” the coach said on Monday. 

“We had a very good Afcon, the bronze medal; and after that a very good friendly game against Algeria. After that the [World Cup qualifying] games against Nigeria and Zimbabwe where we also had very good results. 

“So that means, yeah we are confident and believe in ourselves to start these qualifiers for Afcon 2025 well. 

“I think it's very important when you play qualifiers to have a good start — when you do you put pressure on the [group] opponents, when you don't it's the opposite.

“Also with the quality and status we have now, because at least Bafana are ranked in the best 10 in Africa. I think this is the place that for a country like South Africa should be normal — we are now there so that means we have to try to stay there. 

“We can do that with a good start in the Afcon qualifiers, and a good start for me is six [points] from six. If we can achieve that then you have the two key games in October against Congo and in the best scenario we can already qualify in those games.” 

Broos is looking to the other growing asset in his team aside from confidence — a remarkable strengthening of their mentality when the chips are down against intimidating opponents — to help Bafana get results in this month's games if things get tough. 

“We have to look at that [the players' inactivity], certainly when we choose the [starting] team. I already discussed it with Helman [Mkhalele, Bafana assistant coach] so we know a bit of what we will do next Friday,” the coach said. 

“And then it's up to the players. Those who are in teams who didn't play so many games, OK, that's what I said, that it's to find the right mentality. And it's up to the players. I know those players very well already except for a few new ones now in the group. But I know I don't have to worry about that — my players have already shown mentality in difficult situations. 

“I think of the trip we made to Nigeria and you see the performance they produced there. That means we have the right mentality. 

Uganda are a very athletic team, big guys with big heart fighting for every ball and it will not be different on Friday. It's up to us to put something against that. That can be, first of all, our quality and I think I may say we in the quality level we are the better team. But that will not be enough on Friday, I'm sure of it.

—  Hugo Broos

“I say the players, and don't say it for the sake of it, the players on the bench are sometimes more important than those on the pitch. Because when you call on them that often means things are not going well on the pitch and then you have to count on them. 

“They can't disappoint you. And this is important and we showed it in the last year that we always have guys on the bench who can help us a lot.”

Broos expects Put's physical Uganda, a team known for making up for whatever deficiencies in quality with heart, to put up a tough opening outing for South Africa. 

“You can't always win a game by playing good football and maybe this is such a game. I know the coach very well because he's from Belgium — he's a good coach. So it will not be easy, but if we can find the right mentality, we showed it already before in difficult circumstances that we can count on that when we need it in such games. 

“I think another example is the game in Liberia [in the 2023 Nations Cup qualifiers]. This was not an easy game. We played 2-2 here [at Orlando, where Broos stormed off before the end of the game in disgust at his team’s performance]; I was not happy, blah blah, and then suddenly the team was there [in the away game]. I also expect that on Friday that if we can't find the solution, if we can't win the game by playing good football then we can go to our mentality. 

“Uganda are a very athletic team, big guys with big heart fighting for every ball and it will not be different on Friday. It's up to us to put something against that. That can be, first of all, our quality and I think I may say we in the quality level we are the better team. But that will not be enough on Friday, I'm sure of it.” 

Congo, ranked 118th, are South Africa’s next opponents home and away in October.