With Amakhosi's form on a downward spiral, much of the blame has focused on their co-coaches, Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze. This has led to speculation around who is next for the Naturena hotseat. One of those names belongs to the 46-year-old Bosnian who is remembered in South Africa for his stint at TS Galaxy and his feud with Rhulani Mokwena.
The Masandawana defender has insisted that his omission from the Bafana squad in their past few camps is not a concern for him as he focuses on helping his club achieve its targets. The defender has developed into one of the most reliable figures in Miguel Cardoso’s set-up this season, battling back from an injury-hit spell to re-establish himself at the core of Sundowns’ defensive unit.
In perhaps the most predictable outburst, The Brazilians coach has lashed out at the way in which South Africa's domestic league is scheduling fixtures around continental matches. This comes only hours after the PSL announced that 'Downs would have to play Marumo Gallants on Tuesday, March 17 at Loftus Versfeld, in between their two legged quarter finals clash with Stade Malien.
The Brazilians would be hoping the knockouts of this continental competition will not be as difficult as the group stage, where they went for a four-match winless streak at some point. It is a fresh chapter of this season's campaign as they bid to improve on last term's run, where they ended up as the losing finalists.
After engaging in the Premier Soccer League game just days ago, Masandawana have regrouped and are fully focused on the CAF Champions League. The Tshwane giants needed a win in their last group match to reach the quarter-finals and now begin their campaign in the knockout phase. Given that they will host the continental rivals, Downs must make sure they take full advantage of home support.
Egypt are the team who have won the most AFCON titles in history, with seven to their name. It was in 1957, the inaugural edition of AFCON, where Egypt attained glory. They would go on to add three more trophies before the turn of the century (1957, 1986, 1998), before completing a threepeat in 2006, 2008, and 2010.
How many teams are in the AFCON?
The first-ever AFCON featured just three teams. Between 1968 and 1990, eight teams featured in the tournament. An expansion in 1992 saw 12 teams feature in AFCON, and 16 from 1998. The latest expansion in 2019, though, sees 24 teams fight for glory.
Who has made the most AFCON appearances ever?
Cameroon legend Rigobert Song set the record of most AFCON appearances in 2010, playing in his 36th game in the tournament. That record was equalled by Ghanaian icon Andre Ayew in 2024.
Who is the all-time top scorer of the AFCON?
Cameroon icon Samuel Eto'o leads the all-time goalscoring charts with an impressive 18 goals over the course of 29 matches during six different tournaments.
Who is the oldest player ever in the AFCON and how old was he?
Egypt's Essam El Hadary is the oldest player ever to play in AFCON at the age of 44 years and 21 days. He achieved this feat in 2017 during Egypt's 2-1 loss to Cameroon.
Who is the youngest player ever in the AFCON and how old was he?
Former Ghana defender Joseph Odoi made his AFCON debut in 1984 at the age of 15 years and 164 days, becoming the youngest player ever to feature in the African Cup of Nations.
Which famous players have played in the AFCON?
Samuel Eto'o, Mohamed Salah, Yaya Toure, Didier Drogba, Jay-Jay Okocha, Sadio Mane, Roger Milla, Ahmed Hassan, George Weah, etc, are some of the biggest names to have featured in the African Cup of Nations.
Which famous managers have managed in the AFCON?
Charles Gyamfi, Hassan Shehata, Herve Renard, and Avram Grant are some of the most famous coaches to have led their respective teams at AFCON.