Forget Bafana Bafana's loss to Cameroon in AFCON; 'South Africa's mindset is like Spain!' Former Real Madrid coach makes a bold claim

Bafana Bafana were among the teams that had been tipped to challenge for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) owing to their good run prior to the competition.

Forget winning bronze in the 2023 edition held in Ivory Coast, South Africa topped Group K without tasting defeat.

Before the competition, they had gone 26 matches across all competitions without a loss, and their consistency was enviable.

However, things didn't work out as anticipated; they finished second in Group B after two wins and a loss, before being sent packing by Cameroon in the Round of 16.

Former Real Madrid assistant coach and ex-AmaZulu tactician Pablo Franco Martin was left impressed with the style of play by Hugo Broos men.

“I think Bafana Bafana’s style of play is difficult to see here in Africa; they have a mindset close to the one we [Spain] have. They play short passes with combination play, but this competition is tough, you’re facing really good teams with players playing in Europe,” he said as quoted by FARPost.

“The physicality of these players and the mindset is to play more direct and be more vertical. Like Cameroon, which created a lot of dangerous moments with this playing style, being direct, and from there, the opponents are making mistakes.

“I know they were close to equalising with [Evidence] Makgopa in the final minutes, but they were loyal to their principles. They played a good tournament, making it from the group stages, and in the Last 16, they faced tough opponents who were more physical than they are. And that was the key to the game," Martin concluded. 

Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Jabu Mahlangu - in his response to Benedict Vilakazi, who said Hugo Broos should be replaced - stated the Belgian has done many positive things for the country and should be retained despite Mzansi's elimination from AFCON. 

“Why would you fire a coach with only five months before the World Cup? What’s the new coach going to do in that short space of time?” The 45-year-old stated.

“It has been a long time since we lost because of this guy. Our dignity is back. The stadiums were empty before Hugo Broos, but the support is back, and the stadiums are full, even though it’s not a full house. However, the support is back, and it’s nice at the stadiums. You guys need to respect our coach; you don’t respect our head coach.

“You have badges, but you are busy bashing other coaches. And you are not even coaching in the first division or lower leagues. I am defending South Africa and our head coach because we cannot ignore his record and his work. We now have a team and direction in our country,” Mahlangu concluded.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is about six months away, and former Amakhosi defender Neil Tovey believes this is the right time to prepare.

“The first obvious preparation plan is to organise some tough friendly matches. There will be windows. I am not sure how many international breaks there are between now and the World Cup," he told FARPost.

"You have to make sure it is not local friendlies against your Zambias and Lesothos. And I say this with all due respect. We just expect tough opposition that is on a higher level than us. We must find opposition that have qualified for the World Cup. They are the teams we need for friendly matches.

“That’s the best way if you are talking about proper preparation. We know Mexican play in a certain way, so go and play against South Americans. I mean, Mexico is Central America, but their football is very similar to that of the South Americans. So go and play friendlies against Colombias, Chiles, Ecuadors and Paraguays.

“And to prepare for South Korea, we can try to play against Japan. You know those types of teams with a hard-working style, that collectivist way of playing. We need high-intensity friendlies, not our neighbours, please," Tovey concluded.