Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos issued a defiant response to critics ahead of South Africa’s final AFCON 2025 qualifier against South Sudan.
Bafana Bafana have assumed pole position in Group K of the CAF 2025 AFCON qualifiers, courtesy of their 2-0 win over Uganda at the Mandela National Stadium on Friday afternoon,
Prior to the clash in Kampala, both nations had already qualified for the tournament in Morocco, thanks to South Sudan’s surprise win over Congo Brazzaville a day earlier.
Broos dismissed claims that South Africa’s qualification was down to luck, stressing that the team’s performance in Uganda demonstrated their quality.
“We proved today that we don’t need luck,” said Broos. “Some people were saying yesterday, after Congo’s defeat, that South Africa is lucky. But we showed on the pitch that we can win games and deserve to qualify for AFCON.”
The coach also made it clear that simply qualifying wasn’t enough for his side, as they aim to finish top of the group.
“We want to win every game, and we’re not happy with second place,” he explained. “Today’s win was crucial, not just to silence critics but to secure our position as group leaders. Uganda was a tough opponent, but we showed our resilience.”
Looking ahead, South Africa will host South Sudan on Tuesday, 19 November, in their final group stage match, with Broos determined to end the qualifiers on a high note.
“This victory is the cherry on top, but we’ll fight again next Tuesday for another three points,” he added.
Kick off against South Sudan is at 18h00 (SAST) on Tuesday, 19 November 2024.