Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos is concerned about his team’s failure to manage situations in crucial stages of matches at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) and put opposition to the sword when they are in the ascendency. In their opening 2-1 win against Angola in Marrakesh, Bafana took their foot off the pedal after taking the lead and allowed the Palancas Negrasto equalise. South Africa scored early but failed to take the game to the halftime break with the lead.
There were many stages of the match against Angola South Africa did not handle properly, and that was also the case in their 1-0 defeat to 10-player Egypt in Agadir on Friday and Monday’s the hard-fought 2-1 victory over Zimbabwe in Marrakesh on Monday that saw Bafana into the last 16. Broos was unimpressed Bafana allowed Zimbabwe to come back in the game twice, and at some stages the Warriors were on top. Bafana take on either Ivory Coast or Cameroon in Rabat in the first knockout round and straight-talking Broos said they won’t have a chance if they continue to be soft and lack aggression.
“This is something I am worried about because it happened again in this game and against Angola. Even in the first half against Egypt, we were soft and weak, we were not determined in duels and there was not aggression,” Broos said. “We started with aggression in the first 20 minutes against Zimbabwe, but we took the foot off the pedal and gave the opportunity to the opponent to get back in the game.
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“We must learn to have concentration because it is either Ivory Coast or Cameroon in the next round and we can’t play like that against them. If we do that, we have no chance to win that game.” Broos said he was worried about the performances of some players. Much attention has been on tournament debutant Sipho Mbule, who has not risen to the level of the Afcon as playmaker.
Hugely experienced Teboho Mokoena in central midfield has also come nowhere close to reaching the heights he reached when helping South Africa earn bronze in Ivory Coast just under two years ago. “I am not happy with the performance and the way some players are acting on the pitch. This is something we have to work on.
It was there from the beginning of the tournament. “We have to know the progression we have made over the past two to three years does not mean you will come to the pitch and win the game. I said it before the tournament, this is going to be tougher than the one in the Ivory Coast.
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