Hugo Broos and Teboho Mokoena at Saturday’s pre-match press conference in Morocco. Picture: SAFA South African fans will be on the edge of their seats for Sunday’s epic AFCON Last 16 clash as Bafana Bafana face Cameroon. All eyes will be set on the Al Medina Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, starting at 9pm (SA time).
The South Africans had a chance to work out on the pitch on Saturday. For Bafana Bafana coach, Hugo Broos, this match carries special significance, as it marks a return to battle against the nation he famously led to AFCON glory . Broos, who was at the helm of the Cameroon national team from March 2016 until November 2017, transcended the sport’s boundaries by guiding his side to victory at the 2017 AFCON, a moment that secured his place in the hearts of Cameroonian fans and in the legacy of African football.
Broos was mobbed by Cameroonian fans when he arrived for Saturday’s pre-match conference. Yet, as he prepares for this pivotal encounter, Broos conveys a singular commitment to South Africa, emphasising that his former allegiances must take a back seat. “If you win an AFCON with a country, there’s always a little place in your heart that stays for the rest of your life, and that’s the case with Cameroon and me.
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It will always be there. But tomorrow (Sunday), I can’t have mercy on them. I want to win the game tomorrow because I am the coach of South Africa now,” he stated passionately.
The match is not simply a tactical chess game; it ignites fervour among fans in the nations, who are ready to support their teams. Teboho Mokoena, Bafana Bafana’s midfield dynamo, captured this anticipation. “Of course, as a team, we are excited about the game tomorrow (Sunday).
The talk we are having (as players) is that we must do better than we did in the last AFCON (Bafana Bafana finished third with a bronze medal). “We know that it is going to be a tough game against Cameroon, but we’re looking forward to it,” he expressed, indicating the squad’s collective determination and readiness to elevate their game.
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