Broos explains why many friendlies are not good for Bafana before AFCON

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has explained the importance of playing fewer games before heading to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

South Africa are set for a second AFCON tournament on the bounce with the 2025 tournament set to take place in Morocco between December 21 and January 18 but unlike most teams who have scheduled two friendly matches during this month’s FIFA international window, Broos’ men have just one.

That was played on Saturday when they won 3-1 against Zambia and they have no other matches as their next assignment will be the AFCON in Morocco.

Why fewer pre-AFCON games for Bafana?

Broos says that decision is down to the fact that they will not be learning anything new from their African rivals while he is keen to ensure the players head into the tournament after a win so that they begin with vigour and not like in 2023 when they started the AFCON campaign with a 2-0 loss to Mali.

“I don’t like to play two or three games before we go,” Broos explained as quoted by iDiski Times. “We played enough games against African teams so we don’t have to play against another African team, because [like] we don’t know African football.”

“We played the last four years nearly only against African teams. So we don’t have to play another two or three games before we go to AFCON we don’t need that,” he added.

Broos keen to head to Morocco in victory mood

Hugo Broos and his Bafana Bafana players. Photo Imago

“It will be a little bit different when we play next year World Cup. That is something else, and the preparation will be different also.

“But now we just try to have a good preparation and that the team is really at 100% when they start, and that we don’t start like we started the last AFCON with a defeat. I want to win that first game.”

Bafana Bafana have Egypt, Angola and Zimbabwe in their AFCON group and will begin their campaign on December 22 against the Palancas Negras before taking on the Pharaohs on Boxing Day and wrap up group stage action with a clash with the Warriors three days later.