South Africa is expected to submit a bid to host the continental tournament. According to the top government official, a joint bid is expected alongside neighbouring countries. If South Africa wins the hosting rights, it will have another chance to try and win the AFCON trophy on home soil, having done so in 1996.
The 29-year-old has been based in Europe since 2016, building a solid career abroad. During his decade overseas, his journey has taken him through Sweden, Portugal and Israel, before settling in Cyprus over the past four years. He now joins a club soaked in success, having been crowned champions of Cyprus on 21 occasions.
With a demanding schedule facing the Pretoria-based side, Masandawana coach Miguel Cardoso has had the opportunity to dig deep into his squad—an approach that saw a Bafana Bafana centre-back make his first appearance for the Brazilians in their mid-week clash against Sekhukhune United.
The tactician is unhappy that he was illegally dismissed before being asked to go back, but as an assistant to an ex-Manchester City star who had taken over. The South African believes the ex-club has a case to answer, explaining the reason for seeking legal redress. He is unhappy that he was lied to when he had already signed a contract with them.
The Soweto giants have been one of the Premier Soccer League teams that have not been active in strengthening their squad. However, they have made a vital decision that will see them continue pushing for the major honors as well as set a strong foundation for the new campaign. Apart from the domestic competitions, Amakhosi are chasing the CAF Confederation Cup.
The 21-year-old South African attacker has been a key player for the Knight of Ad-Dahna since his shock move in the off-season transfer window. He was in action on Saturday as the Commandos collected vital points in the Saudi top-tier. The club is hoping to finish in the top positions at the end of the ongoing campaign.
The South African winger is enjoying his football again after struggles with Orlando Pirates and the defending Premier Soccer League champions. The 32-year-old delivered in the Botola Pro League before inviting suitors from other countries. Nyoso is now set for a new challenge, hoping to sustain his form.
The 32-year-old midfielder is again on the move but remains in North Africa. The latest developments come after reports emerged that a deal is in the pipeline for the former Orlando Pirates man to go to Libya. This comes after he started the season on a high note for the Moroccan giants, as he justified their decision to sign him permanently when Rhulani Mokwena wanted him at MC Alger.
The Lions of Teranga controversially beat the Atlas Lions on Sunday night at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium to secure their second continental crown in the last three editions of Afcon. It was another sad and disappointing ending for the North African nation that last conquered Africa in 1976.
Once tipped as one of the best goalkeepers in the country, the former Maritzburg United star has decided to quit the football scene. At 30, especially for a goalkeeper, that is seen as a relatively young age, but he has decided to call it quits. His retirement has come at a time when the debate on who should replace the current Bafana Bafana goalkeepers has been partly dominating headlines.
There has been a massive debate regarding the decision by the national team technical team to exclude Mshishi and Nyoso from the squad, which featured in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where South Africa crashed out in the Round of 16, falling 2-1 against the five-time champions Cameroon.
In a wide-ranging blog interview, the former AFCON winner revealed his views on the tournament's semi final stage, the battle between Mane and Salah, the upcoming final and picks his standout players.
There have been questions about the future of South Africa in terms of the goalkeeping department, which has, in recent years, relied on the Mamelodi Sundowns star, who has a couple of years left before calling it a day in the national team. The likes of Sipho Chaine have been tipped to take over, but he sometimes struggles for consistency.
South Africa are set to return to the global football showpiece for the first time since 2010, when they hosted the tournament on home soil. Their last successful qualification campaign came when they secured a place at the 2002 edition in South Korea and Japan. Now, the 1996 African champions will be bidding to prove that they truly belong on the elite stage of world football.
One of the key components in any team setup is a competitive goalkeeping department. In most cases, the best, usually the most experienced one, is always the number one choice, and in the case of Bafana, Mamelodi Sundowns' captain has been the undisputed choice. With his age advancing and no young successor in the picture already, a goalkeeping problem for the national team has been predicted.
The Africa Cup of Nations finals is heading to the ultimate stage, and to every South African football fan, they had to believe their team had the ability to reach this stage. However, Bafana were eliminated quite early; Cameroon's Indomitable Lions proved too strong for them and eliminated the 1996 AFCON champions in the Round of 16. Since elimination, criticism, counter-criticism and the blame game have been the order of the day, and many fingers have pointed to one man: Broos.
The 20-year-old defender has been doing well for both club and country, explaining why he was snapped up by the Major League Soccer outfit from the Buccaneers, who gave him a chance in March 2025. The centre-back was part of the Bafana Bafana team that featured in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, where they reached the Round of 16.
The South African Premier Soccer League has recently produced talented youngsters who have shown promise in the game, inviting interest from abroad where several teams have been chasing them. In the last couple of months, youngsters have left for Belgium as well as the Major League Soccer and, seemingly, this is not going to stop.
The 20-year-old has returned to his club from the 2025 AFCON finals, where he did not taste any game time for South Africa. He is now pushing for increased minutes at club level to boost his chances of not only making the 2026 FIFA World Cup squad, but also featuring on the pitch. However, his comeback to the Blue-Blacks was marred by a red card setback.
As debate on who should take over Bafana Bafana when Broos' era comes to an end rages, some names have been suggested. From the experienced Pitso Mosimane to the emerging Rhulani Mokwena and Broos' current assistant, Helman Mkhalele, pundits have been analysing who is the best-suited tactician to handle the national side.
After what has been regarded as Bafana's poor performance in Morocco, South Africans have been left wondering whether their team is developing or regressing. Now, as the focus shifts to the 2026 World Cup finals, Bafana's supporters have been cautioned.
The hosts put up a dominant display on Friday night at the Prince Moulay Stadium in Rabat, sending their opponents home after collecting a narrow 2-1 win over Hugo Broos' Bafana Bafana in the Round of 16 fixture. The Atlas Lions, who possess a massive quality, are chasing their first continental glory since 1976.
Defiant Broos continues to defend himself even though South Africa failed to achieve their AFCON ambitions. After initially blaming the level of the Premier Soccer League, stating that his players lack the necessary experience, the Belgian has turned his gun on his critics. Known for his unfiltered, controversial comments at times, the AFCON winner has hit back at those who criticise him.
The coach's explanation of why South Africa failed to make it past the Round of 16 continues to attract responses. The experienced tactician claimed the level of the domestic league could have played a major role in their elimination. But the German coach has offered a different perspective, stating that Broos could be wrong and laying down what must be done to make Mzansi players become even better.
South Africa exited the 2025 AFCON without managing to at least match their third-place finish from the previous edition in Ivory Coast. The 1996 African champions were less convincing this time around and looked a far cry from the side that charmed the continent in their last outing. Their early departure has sparked differing opinions about their Belgian coach and the team’s overall direction ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Football lovers in Mzansi are still reeling from the pain of failing to make the latter stages of the biennial competition ongoing in the North African nation of Morocco after falling to the five-time champions, the Indomitable Lions, in the initial knockout phase round. However, the style of play caught the attention of an experienced tactician.
South Africa
