A visibly weary Hugo Broos sat before the press at the Agdal Medina Stadium in Rabat on Sunday night, the weight of a premature 2025 AFCON exit etched into his face. After a 2-1 defeat to Cameroon saw Bafana Bafana bundled out in the Round of 16, the Belgian tactician made a chilling promise to his squad: a ‘detailed’ review is coming, and no one is safe.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup just six months away, Broos, in not so many words, signalled that the period of grace for underperforming players and staff has officially expired.
Broos surprised many by ring-fencing his starting XI with four major changes, handing first tournament starts to Samukele Kabini, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Relebohile Mofokeng, and Bathusi Aubaas. Moving to a conservative 3-4-2-1 formation, Broos effectively deployed a “double pivot” of Teboho Mokoena and Aubaas. Dropping Aubrey Modiba for Kabini strangled Bafana’s natural attacking flair as the Norway-based defender offered little going forward.
While the shape allowed South Africa to carve out lethal counter-attacks—most notably squandered by Lyle Foster and a distraught Relebohile Mofokeng in the first 30 minutes—it lacked the sustained offensive pressure needed to rattle the Indomitable Lions.
When pressed on the logic behind such drastic changes in a knockout game, Broos was uncharacteristically guarded.
THE BROOS TACTICAL GAMBLE THAT BACKFIRED
“I will not give a comment on that [the starting XI],” he remarked curtly. “And secondly, it’s not strange that when players are replaced, some are not happy. I am not going to make declarations through emotions or frustration.”
Despite his refusal to dissect the game’s minutiae, Broos was vocal about the bigger picture. Having arrived in Morocco as bronze-medal favourites, Bafana’s stuttering campaign—which included unconvincing group-stage wins over Angola and Zimbabwe—has left the veteran coach questioning the current setup.
When questioned on the specific adjustments required before the World Cup, Broos also declined to elaborate, insisting it was not the opportune moment to discuss changes while dodging further inquiries. Instead, he offered a stern warning of a review—one that could lead to big changes within the national team hierarchy before Bafana Bafana depart for the USA, Mexico, and Canada in June.
“When you are emotional, sometimes you say things you regret afterwards, so I will not do that. We will make a detailed evaluation in the upcoming days and weeks of what was good and not good in Morocco at AFCON,” Broos said. “We will see what we need to change and what not to change because in six months there is the World Cup, and we need to be ready for that.”
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