Seth Willis

The veteran 73-year-old Belgian tactician has been trending since the country's elimination from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Sunday by Cameroon, who will now play Morocco in the quarter-final. A section of South African fans believe the coach has lost it, while some remain optimistic he is the right man at the helm of the Mzansi national team.

The Premier Soccer League teams are strengthening their teams as the South African top tier enters a critical stage in the next couple of weeks following the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) break that allowed Bafana Bafana to prepare and compete in the biennial competition. Clubs have limited times to sign players they need.

The legendary South African midfielder has been playing for Masandawana since 2011, delivering consistently across all competitions for both the Premier Soccer League heavyweights and the national team. Despite being 36, 'Mshishi' as he is commonly referred to, remains a vital player not only for Masandawana but for Hugo Broos' men.

The 38-year-old former Orlando Pirates and Masandawana tactician has been proving his doubters wrong with his tactics in North Africa, where he is currently contracted to the Algerian League 1 outfit, a couple of months after leaving Morocco's Botola Pro league. The South African has been linked to the Glamour Boys.

The South Africa versatile attacker has been excellent for both the Buccaneers and the national team across all competitions. There have been a host of clubs that have been heavily linked with the winger, but none have materialised so far despite the talent he has. The former Masandawana tactician has now revealed interest in the Bucs player.

The Super Eagles, who have won the competition three times - 1980 when they hosted it, 1994 in Tunisia, and 2013 in South Africa, were in a class of their own against Os Mambas in a Round of 16 assignment played at the Fez Stadium on Monday night. It was a game they needed to win as they chase their fourth crown, having come close in 2023.

The 24-year-old has been with the club since his early days in the game, coming through the ranks to represent the senior team and become a key player for the Cape Winelands region. Initially, the South Africa international had been linked with a move to the Soweto giants, but he has been convinced to stay.

The Soweto Giants have been exceptional in domestic competitions this season, where they have already secured two major titles and one unofficial one under coach Abdeslam Ouaddou who replaced the Spaniard Jose Riveiro at the beginning of the 2025/26 season. The former Morocco international is hoping to win the remaining two local titles.

The 1996 winners failed to find a way past the five-time champions, the Indomitable Lions, in the Round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) ongoing in the North African country of Morocco. South Africa were punished for an inconsistent start against a determined opponent who will now be hoping to go all the way.

The reigning Premier Soccer League champions have once again decided to break the bank and get a player they feel will help them meet their target for the season after losing a key player at the beginning of the 2025/26 season. Apart from the South African top flight, the Brazilians are hoping to challenge for the CAF Champions League crown.

This is a massive game for both sides as they hope to get a favourable result that will keep alive their dream of winning the biennial competition going on in the North African nation of Morocco. This will be a massive match for coach Hugo Broos, who helped the Indomitable Lions win the 2017 edition.

The Eagles endured a tough time at Mohamed V Stadium in Casablanca against the Carthage Eagles to make the last eight of the biennial competition and send their fans into raptures. The North African team were punished for failing to take their chances and coming up with tactics to stop the determined opponents who played with a man less for almost 100 minutes. Ex-Glamour Boys target saved two penalties in the shootout to see his team through.

South Africa is among the 16 teams that made it out of the initial group stage after finishing second in their pool, which had the seven-time champions Egypt who eventually topped it, alongside COSAFA duo Zimbabwe and Angola, who were eliminated. Former Buccaneers tactician hopes to see his country in the final but has branded another team as the 'most dangerous.'

The 73-year-old will be coming up against his former team this weekend in the Last 16 of the biennial competition, hoping to get into the last eight and eventually go all the way to win their second continental crown. The initial one came in 1996 when South Africa were hosts. In 2023, the Belgian led Bafana to a bronze.

The 25-year-old former AmaZulu player has been doing well for South Africa in the biennial competition, having made two direct contributions to the five goals Hugo Broos' men scored in Group B to finish second with six points behind seven-time champions Egypt. The winger is expected to play a crucial role in the knockout phase.

Recently, the AFCON organisers released the list of the players who they feel performed better in the initial stage of the biennial competition. No player from South Africa made the squad despite some strong showings from a couple of them, like the Burnley FC star Lyle Foster, as well as the Mamelodi Sundowns defender Khuliso Mudau.

The 2023/24 Carling Knockout champions have once again lost an influential figure in the dressing room amid their struggles in the Premier Soccer League, where they have been posting inconsistent results this season. Former Amakhosi coach Gavin Hunt, who took over from Steve Barker, will have to find a suitable replacement before club football resumes.

The Sea Robbers, under coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, have been exceptional in the domestic competitions this season, where they have already won two titles. The Buccaneers are also targeting the South African top-flight crown they last won more than a decade ago, but will have to do it without one of their key players.