Former Bafana Bafana defender Matthew Booth has expressed his concerns about the psychological shift facing the squad ahead of the much-anticipated 2025 AFCON tournament in Morocco.
He believes that while a bronze medal in the previous edition was a triumph, it has stripped the team of their ‘underdog’ status, leaving them to navigate the added pressure of being a favoured side.
Hugo Broos‘ troops kick-off their AFCON campaign against Angola at the Grand Stade de Marrakech on Monday night at 19:00. Booth believes that Angola will be a tough opponent. The Fish Hoek-born legend says strong tournament starts are all about that important opening win.
Booth, who was part of the national squad for the 2002 AFCON, noted that the team’s travel logistics, specifically the trip to Agadir for their second game against Egypt, make a win over Angola in their opener vital.
MATTHEW BOOTH: ‘BAFANA BAFANA WILL TRAVEL AWAY TO FACE EGYPT
“I feel they [Angola] are going to be a tough opponent,” Booth said on the SmashSports podcast. “Also, the fact that we have Egypt in the second game is not a perfect scenario. It means we have to travel from Marrakech to Agadir.
“So this Angola game is going to be so vital for us to win.
“They have a strong core of players who play in Serie A. “Angola are not going to be pushovers; they are an attacking unit that is quite formidable. We will face a team that is going to be tough to beat,” Booth added.
Additionally, Bafana Bafana are facing higher expectations after clinching bronze at AFCON 2024 in Côte d’Ivoire. Broos’ side stunned Morocco in the Last 16, edged past Cape Verde on penalties in the quarter-finals, and then beat DR Congo in another shootout to finish third.
“My concern now is we’re going into this tournament with a target on our back,” the former Mamelodi Sundowns defender continued.
“The fact that we came third in the previous tournament two years ago in Ivory Coast. Now we are not going as underdogs. People know about us now.
RELATED STORY: Everything to know about Bafana Bafana’s AFCON rivals Angola