AFCON 2025: Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos eyes Herve Renard’s historic feat

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos enters the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco with a unique distinction, he is the only one among the 24 tacticians at the tournament to have previously lifted the trophy.

The 73-year-old Belgian, who guided Cameroon to glory in 2017 after overcoming the absence of several key players, now hopes to emulate Frenchman Hervé Renard, the only coach to win AFCON with two different nations. Renard achieved the feat with Zambia in 2012 and Ivory Coast in 2015.

Broos returned to the continental stage last year with Bafana Bafana, steering South Africa to a surprise third-place finish in Ivory Coast. It was a remarkable achievement for a team that had struggled to qualify consistently for AFCON over the past decade.

This time, South Africa face a stern test in Group B, where they will meet Angola, Egypt, and Zimbabwe. While optimism runs high among supporters hoping for a first AFCON title since 1996, Broos has urged caution.

Reflecting on last year’s campaign, Broos recalled:

“We were not among the favourites and lost our opening match to Mali. Some fans joked that the pilot should keep the plane’s engine running because we would soon be heading home. But we went all the way to the semifinals, lost to Nigeria on penalties, and then beat DR Congo to finish third.”

Broos stressed the importance of starting strongly in Morocco, identifying the opening clash against Angola in Marrakesh as crucial. He warned that failure there would leave South Africa needing victories against seven-time champions Egypt, led by Mohamed Salah, and a spirited Zimbabwe side that “always raise their game against us.”

Widely regarded as South Africa’s best coach since Clive Barker, who masterminded the 1996 AFCON triumph, Broos has already secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where Bafana will face Mexico, South Korea, and a European team in Group A.

AFCON 2025 will feature a diverse coaching line-up: 14 African coaches, nine Europeans, and one South American, Miguel Gamondi of Tanzania. Broos is one of three Belgians in Morocco, alongside Tom Saintfiet (Mali) and Paul Put (Uganda).