South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has turned his attention to preparations for the upcoming FIFA World Cup following Bafana Bafana’s early exit from the Africa Cup of Nations.
Bafana Bafana were eliminated in the round of 16 after a 2–1 loss to Cameroon on Sunday in Rabat, bringing their AFCON campaign to an end.
The defeat marked a step back from their impressive third-place finish at the previous tournament in Ivory Coast two years ago.
Despite the disappointment, Broos rejected suggestions that his team has regressed, insisting their performance against Cameroon showed clear progress.
“We are not going backwards,” said the experienced Belgian coach. “Maybe in some matches our performances were not at the level people expect from South Africa, but that was not the case today. We played well, but sometimes football is about luck, and today it was not on our side.”
Bafana Bafana advanced to the knockout stages after finishing second in their group behind Egypt, recording narrow victories over Angola and Zimbabwe, while losing to the Pharaohs.
Broos pointed to past fortune that had favoured his side, referencing their quarter-final win over Cape Verde at the last AFCON.
“Two years ago, Ronwen Williams made an incredible save against Cape Verde. Without that moment, we could have been eliminated,” he said. “This time, things didn’t go our way.”
Broos stressed the importance of a thorough review of the tournament as South Africa prepares for their first World Cup appearance since hosting the competition in 2010.
“We need to analyse everything that happened here what worked and what didn’t,” he explained. “The World Cup is only six months away, so we must make the right adjustments.”
Broos confirmed that preparations will intensify in the coming weeks, with friendly matches scheduled for March forming a key part of the build-up.
“We want to be ready by March and ensure we are properly prepared when the World Cup arrives,” he said.
South Africa have qualified for the World Cup for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2010.
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