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Hugo Broos and Danny JordaanBackpage
Seth Willis

SAFA slammed for Bafana Bafana friendly with 'no longer our level' Zambia - 'We need to play against Brazil and Germany'

The senior national team will be competing with the best in Africa and in the world at large over the next year. In late December, South Africa will be chasing the continental crown in Morocco before facing the best in the prestigious global competition to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

  • The task at hand for Bafana Bafana

    Hugo Broos' men hope to win the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, to be held in Morocco from December 21.

    Bafana Bafana are pooled with Egypt, Angola, and Zimbabwe, which gives them a chance to make the knockout phase.

    The tournament will provide Broos and his team with a perfect platform to test the players ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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  • Bafana Bafana, South AfricaBackpage

    SAFA confirm friendly with former AFCON winners

    On November 14, South Africa have been scheduled to play the 2013 AFCON champions, Zambia.

    The game is meant to help Bafana Bafana prepare for the biennial competition as well as test some players who might positively influence the squad.

    However, South Africa legend Mlungisi Ngubane is not convinced that is the right way to go for a team chasing continental glory and the knockout rounds of the World Cup.

  • Mlungisi Ngubane, Thanda Royal Zulu vs Black Aces, NFD, 19.05.2013getty

    Zambia? Our focus should be World Cup!

    "Are we still playing against teams like Zambia? I thought we had moved past that stage; teams like Zambia are no longer on our level. We've gone past that stage," he told KickOff.

    "We should be competing against teams like Cape Verde, who qualified for the World Cup without any challenges.

    "We need to schedule friendlies against countries like Morocco. We should be facing teams that have also qualified for the World Cup, just like us. Our focus should be on preparing for the World Cup, not the AFCON," Ngubane continued.

    “Otherwise, come January, we’ll have to start planning for the World Cup with less than five months to go.

    "We should consistently beat teams like Zambia without difficulty in AFCON tournaments. Right now, we need to be playing friendlies against teams like Brazil and Germany, which are fellow World Cup participants like us," he concluded.

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  • Oswin Appollis and Evidence Makgopa, Bafana BafanaBackpage

    Why Zambia might be just what Bafana Bafana need

    Regional rivalry will push Chipolopolo to give their best against Bafana Bafana, which is what Broos wants.

    Just like South Africa, Zambia want to do well in Morocco, meaning the players who will face Mzansi will probably be the ones doing the job at AFCON. 

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