Bafana Bafana have experienced an upturn in fortunes in 2024, starting with their third-place finish at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Since that impressive performance, South Africa have not lost a match and easily qualified for the 2025 edition, after going unbeaten to top their qualifying group, while they are joint top of their 2026 World Cup qualifying group.
As they head into the new year, a lot more will be expected but what has coach Hugo Broos changed about Bafana Bafana?
Brought back belief
The Bafana Bafana coach has brought back confidence into the team as they are now not afraid to play anyone on the continent.
Unlike before when South Africa always played with the handbrake on, now they face any opposition knowing they can get a result.
This was witnessed at AFCON, especially from the knockout rounds, when they started by dispatching World Cup semi-finalists Morocco before going on to finish third and they have translated that into the 2025 AFCON and 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Winning mentality
With the confidence back in the team, it has been easy for Broos to instill a winning mentality into the squad and he is reaping the benefits.
That has rubbed off on the squad who are eager to get in on the action and they do not care whether they are playing the minnows or giants of African football, all they want is to win.
Selection based on merit
Coach Broos has also ensured that only those who deserve a place in the squad get selected.
The days when being a big name was enough to earn a spot in the team are long gone as Broos only picks players who are not only playing regularly for their clubs but also producing impressive performances.
That has seen everyone raise their level of performance and the national team is the beneficiary.
Squad unity
With selection based on merit, there is respect for each other among the players which has yielded unity.
There are no divisions or camps in the Bafana Bafana fold as the players support each other whether playing or not.
Club rivalries are put aside when they get into the national team camp with the positive vibes leading to positive results.
Emphasis on discipline
Another thing that Broos has implemented has been an emphasis on discipline with players who get out of line reprimanded.
The Bafana Bafana coach is not afraid to drop players who do not behave well or who lack the right attitude, no matter the name, and with no favouritsm when it comes to how he treats them, the standards are so high for everyone.
Blend of youth & experience
Broos has also ensured his squad has a good mix of youth and experience and the balance is paying off.
The tactician has been keen to reduce the average age of his squad with only Ronwen Williams and Themba Zwane above 30 from the squad that qualified for AFCON 2025.
That has yielded a team full of energy, willing to run and ready to learn, to the benefit of the national team.
Tactical flexibility
With the basics in place, Broos has had an easy time implementing his philosophy and it includes knowing when to go all-out and when to be pragmatic.
Against top teams, South Africa have not been afraid to be more pragmatic and play for a result while when facing the lesser teams, they unleash the beast in them and ensure they win big.
That will be crucial in the World Cup qualifiers next year, after serving them so well in 2024, as well as in the AFCON 2025 tournament.
Built on Sundowns’ foundations
Part of what has allowed Broos to be highly successful is that the core of his team play for Mamelodi Sundowns and have experience of playing on the continent.
Also, the Sundowns players are used to winning and it has been easy to transfer their winning mentality to the rest while also reaping from their understanding.
The familiarity among the Sundowns players means Broos does not have to start from scratch as the players already understand each other’s moves and makes the jobs of the rest easy.
Strict principles
Another thing that has made Broos successful is that he is a very principled man who does not bend over backwards for anyone.
Even when club coaches go hard at him over some of his decisions, Broos stands his ground and the players come into camp knowing what to expect as anything other than what he demands means you are out of the team.
Arm around the shoulder
The Bafana Bafana coach is not just about being strict but also knowns when to support his players.
The manner in which he has defended the likes of Patrick Maswanganyi, Veli Mothwa and Percy Tau against criticism from fans has been impressive and he has also taken some players out of the firing line when he felt they were not in the right frame of mind.
