Bafana Bafana has already booked their ticket to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) after Congo Brazzaville succumbed to a shock 3-2 loss to South Sudan on Thursday.
This means Bafana and Uganda march on to the Afcon in Morocco next year. With two games remaining, Uganda currently sits on top of Group K with 10 points, while Bafana is in second place with eight points. Congo, which has a game in hand, is in third position with four points.
The result also makes Hugo Broos the first Bafana coach to reach an Afcon tournament back-to-back.
Initially, Bafana were going into their last two matches needing one win—either away to Uganda or at home against South Sudan.
However, the South Africans will now go into both matches relaxed and under less pressure, having booked their ticket to Morocco without kicking a ball in this international break.
Sold out affair
They take on the Cranes in a sold-out game at the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala on Friday (3pm SA time) before hosting the Sudanese at Cape Town Stadium on Tuesday.
Ahead of the two matches, Broos said it would be a shame if his side failed to qualify for the Afcon following their heroics in Ivory Coast early this year, where they clinched a historic bronze medal.
“It would be a little shame if we don’t qualify for Afcon,” Broos said during a press conference at the Dobsonville Stadium on Monday.
“Honestly, we have the quality of players to win both matches, and we are Afcon bronze medallists. Can you imagine that the bronze medallist of nine months ago can’t even qualify for the next Afcon?
“But I am not thinking about that because my confidence is big in this team, but we can’t and will not accept it if we don’t qualify for Afcon.
“If we lose both games, five minutes after the game I will be on the flight to Belgium. You can be sure of it.”
After hearing the news upon their safe arrival in Uganda on Thursday, Broos will not worry about leaving for Belgium anytime soon, as he will now start focusing on the World Cup Qualifiers.
