Hugo Broos is confident ahead of his side’s final group stage clash with neighbours Zimbabwe at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has stressed the importance of a top-quality performance from his side as they face Zimbabwe in their final Africa Cup of Nations group game, with a spot in the knockout stage on the line.
The two sides will meet at the Stade de Marrakech in Marrakech on Tuesday, with their fixture scheduled to kick-off at 6pm CAT.
South Africa began the tournament well with a 2-1 win over Angola before falling 1-0 to Egypt. The country sits second in group B, three points behind Egypt and two points ahead of Zimbabwe and Angola.
A win would cement the country’s place in the knockout stage, while a draw would be enough should Angola fall to Egypt.
Bafana Bafana were left frustrated by Zimbabwe in their last meeting in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in October as they met in their second last game of the campaign.
The Warriors held Bafana to a goalless draw at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, taking the country’s chances of qualifying into the last matchday in what should have been a routine win for South Africa.
Speaking ahead of the fixture, Broos stated his side are in a similar position to their last AFCON where they must produce a result to advance.
“For sure this is an important game for us. We can qualify for the next round. We are a little bit in the same situation as two years ago in the group stages in Ivory Coast. We were also in the last game. We had not to lose and this is the same thing for tomorrow. If we don’t lose the game tomorrow, we are in the next round and that is the most important thing for us,” he said.
The Belgian tactician knows it will not be easy for his side, with regional bragging rights on the line.
“The other way we all know that the opponent of tomorrow will be a tough one. It is not the first time we play against Zimbabwe. Four years as a coach in South Africa and every qualifier for AFCON or World Cup Zimbabwe was in our group. We know them very well. They know us very well also.They also like to win against us. We felt that already in the previous matches. It will be tough tomorrow. We have to achieve our best level to make a good result.”
With Zimbabwe fighting for a win to keep their hopes alive at the competition, Bafana Bafana will need to be on top form if they are to reach the semi-finals for a second successive tournament.
