Chelsea legend ready ‘to put his money on South Africa’ in the forthcoming AFCON

South Africa are among the teams expected to do well in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) that will be played in Morocco from December 21 to January 18. 

Hugo Broos' men have been doing well in the last couple of years, and apart from AFCON, they are among nine African countries that have secured a direct ticket for the 2026 FIFA World Cup that will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

In the 2025 AFCON, Bafana Bafana were placed in Group B with record winners Egypt, alongside COSAFA  rivals Angola and Zimbabwe. In the 2023 edition, South Africa finished third as the then-hosts Ivory Coast beat Nigeria to the biennial crown.

Former Chelsea winger and ex-Elephants international Salomon Kalou has made his prediction regarding Mzansi.

Where will South Africa finish?

“It’s very difficult to say [who will go all the way to win AFCON] like I said, there are no more small teams, so I want to say the big countries like Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Morocco; but there’s always some surprises,” the 40-year-old told the media.

“I think South Africa is coming back – they are doing very well, they have qualified for the World Cup, the Bafana Bafana are coming back to the level they usually showed us, football here is big as well, with big clubs, with big programs for youth, academies.

“With these tournaments, leagues in youth, that’s how you develop your local football. South Africa is doing very well, and I won’t be surprised to see them going far in the AFCON, last one, they did very well, the surprising team in Ivory Coast. I would be putting my money on South Africa – they can be the surprise package,” he added.

No small teams, no more

The former Winger has further warned the so-called big teams against underrating the minnows in Morocco.

“That’s football now, it’s changing [in Africa] there’s no more small teams, you see, like Lesotho, they have players who are in the South African Premier League, maybe we don’t know them, but they have that quality to be playing there.

“So, when they go to the national team and they play Ivory Coast, for example, people expect us to win three or four, but these are talented players, and this is what football is in Africa, there are no more small teams. Equatorial Guinea beat Ivory Coast 4-1 at AFCON at home.

“I think we have to know football is changing, every country tries to bring their best program for the youth, and that’s how one day we’re probably going to win the World Cup,” Kalou concluded.