Hugo Broos reveals why his Bafana Bafana chapter carries more weight than his Africa Cup of Nations-winning Cameroon stint

Hugo Broos, the seasoned Belgian tactician, stood proudly on the podium with Bafana Bafana as they claimed the bronze medal at the previous Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. That achievement marked another milestone in a remarkable journey, one that is now entering its final chapter. Having already announced that he will step down after next year’s FIFA World Cup and retire from coaching altogether, Broos is navigating the closing months of a career defined by resilience, reinvention and unexpected triumphs.

At 73 years of age, his impact on South African football has been immense. Under his guidance, Bafana Bafana have transformed from a side languishing in one of their lowest ebbs to a team now regarded among the favourites for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, which kicks off on December 21. His tenure has not only restored belief but also positioned South Africa as genuine contenders on the continental stage.

Broos himself has reflected on the stark contrast between his two major international assignments. In Cameroon, he inherited a readymade powerhouse, a team already expected to challenge for and ultimately win AFCON. In South Africa, however, the task was entirely different. He had to build from the ground up, instilling discipline, identity and confidence in a squad that had been written off by many. That process of construction, of nurturing a team that grew stronger with each passing campaign, is what he now regards with the greatest pride. For Broos, the bronze medal in Ivory Coast and the successive qualifications for AFCON and the World Cup are not just results, they are proof of a journey that has surpassed expectations and continues to gather momentum.

“You know, when I’m honest, I think what we did with South Africa was better than what I did with Cameroon,” said Broos as quoted by iDiski Times.

“We built a team here and that team progressed day by day. And then you go to AFCON, and you have ambitions, but you never think that one moment you should have the opportunity to play the final. The first time I think 95% of the group for them was the first AFCON they played. So, you don’t expect that but the progression we made was enormous. Cameroon was a team they were used to be in an AFCON,” he continued.

“They were seen as one of the favourites to win AFCON. So, it was a little bit different, and the pressure was also much higher in Cameroon. So, I think what we did with South Africa here be third in the previous [AFCON], again now two times in a row, qualified for AFCON and qualified for World Cup. I wasn’t with Cameroon.

“We won AFCON and four months later, we were out of qualification, Nigeria went to AFCON. So what we did here for me, I am more happy with the work I did here than with the work I did with Cameroon, because you can expect that from Cameroon when you go to AFCON, but I don’t think that everyone here in the room, and even I expected two years ago that we should play the semi-finals.

“So yeah, it was a great campaign, and it’s still not finished, not at all. So, we will see now in two weeks, and then again, I will try to end my career with a fantastic performance in America, Oh, no, in Mexico now it’s not America anymore. Yeah, it’s very nice for me, really,” Broos concluded.

South Africa’s third-place finish at the 2024 AFCON in Ivory Coast was far more than just another medal, it was a symbolic breakthrough for a nation that had spent nearly a quarter of a century searching for its footing on the continental stage. 

The bronze was only the country’s second in AFCON history, and the first since the year 2000, a reminder of how long the wait had been and how many false dawns had come and gone in the years between.

For 24 years, the 1996 AFCON champions had wrestled with inconsistency, struggling to recapture the aura of their early successes and often falling short of expectations. Supporters endured campaigns marked by disappointment, watching as other African nations surged ahead while South Africa seemed locked in a cycle of rebuilding. This latest podium finish, however, felt different. It carried the weight of history, the relief of redemption and the promise of a new chapter.

Looking to go further at AFCON 2025, South Africa face a demanding Group B campaign in Morocco, beginning on December 22 against Angola, followed by a high-stakes Boxing Day clash with continental giants Egypt, and closing out the group stage with a fiercely contested regional derby against Zimbabwe.

 Each fixture carries its own challenges and storylines, testing Bafana Bafana’s resilience, depth and ambition as they aim to build on their bronze medal finish and push to the final hurdle.