Hugo Broos continues to break records as Bafana qualify for AFCON 2025 in style

South Sudan’s 3-2 shocking victory at home over a 10-man Congo yesterday, ensured that both South Africa and Uganda qualify for the next AFCON in Morocco next year. Speaking to the media in Kampala last night just a few hours after this result, an excited Broos described how he received the news of this qualification, as the camp went wild after this.

"You know this afternoon when the game started in Congo after half-time, I looked and I saw 3-2. I was hoping but I didn't see any more before I got a message from my assistant coach [Helman Mkhalele] saying 'We have qualified',” Broos said.

“So, for me, it's a little surprise honestly but that shows again that if you are in Africa and you can win games outside [your country] and the two teams who won the games or two games outside [their countries] are qualified.

“Uganda won the game outside, we've won already two games outside so that is the big difference in qualifiers and if you can do that then you have a big chance to be qualified. “Again, as you see every match day there are surprises because it's so difficult to win a game outside in Africa. So, we are very happy for sure and I was extremely happy when I received the messages this afternoon that Congo was beaten."

Bafana last played in two consecutive AFCONS in 2013 and 2015, but they had qualified as hosts in 2013.

Broos won Bafana Bafana its first bronze medal at the AFCON in 24 years, earlier this year in Côte D’Ivoire.

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It’s also the first time that Bafana have qualified for a major tournament with two games to spare since the country’s readmission to international football in 1992.

But Broos has still emphasized the importance of still finishing as Group K winners, as they are currently second with two games to go and two points behind Uganda.

"First of all, I want to congratulate my compatriot coach Put [Paul] and Uganda for the qualification for the AFCON for next year. Also, from our side, we are very happy that the qualification is there,” the coach added.

“It's a fantastic year for South African football after the bronze medal at the beginning of the year and now the qualification for the next AFCON. On the other side, does it change something for the game of tomorrow? No, maybe one thing that there will be less stressful than if we still had to win the game tomorrow but on the other side I think we promised ourselves.

“We want to win the game tomorrow, we want to end as first in the group so that means that we have to beat Uganda. So, on that side, it doesn't change that much for us."