Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has reacted to the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) draw for the group stages of the continental tournament after the draw was conducted in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on Thursday night.
Bafana were drawn in Group E where they will battle it out for the knockout stages against Tunisia, Mali, and neighbours Namibia in January next year.
Broos will have watched the draw from Johannesburg, as his team is in camp ahead of two international friendly matches as part of their preparations for the Afcon and upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers next month.
“Honestly, I am not really unhappy [at the draw], especially when you see the teams we were presented with,” Broos told Safa media on Thursday night.
“Mali and Tunisia are both big teams for sure, but I preferred them than Senegal or Ivory Coast – which is very good for us.
“And then Namibia is a team we know very well so I think if we achieve our best level, we can go through the group stages.”
The 1996 Afcon champions will be in action when they host Eswatini in a friendly match at FNB Stadium on Friday evening. Kick-off is at 6pm.
They will then take a long trip to west Africa, where they will face Afcon host nation Ivory Coast on Tuesday, where they will get the feel of what to expect come next year.
Having avoided the likes of Mohamed Salah’s Egypt, World Cup semi-finalists Morocco, longtime foes Nigeria and reigning champions Senegal, South Africa were somewhat pitted in a relatively winnable group.
Bross said with his side now knowing their opponents, they will have ample time to prepare better for them, with the hope that most of his key players will have returned from injuries.
The 34th Afcon edition will take center stage from January 13 – February 11 and is expected to bring fireworks, with some of the world-class African stars set to grace the biggest football event on African soil.
