Morocco game to test Bafana Bafana's readiness for AFCON - Hugo Broos

This is according to coach Hugo Broos, as he addressed the media on the eve of the national team’s final Group K fixture at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg this evening (17:00). 

Both teams have already qualified for the AFCON in Ivory Coast next year, but Broos expects to see progress from his side leading up to the tournament.

"The football, speed, technique, whatever you want. We were lucky that we only lost 2-1. So, I want to see [tonight] that this is not the case anymore," said Broos.

"Maybe there will be moments in the game [when] we will be dominated because this is a very good [Morocco] team, I said it already, maybe the best team in Africa at the moment.

"But we have to show more than we showed in Rabat one year ago, and if we can succeed in doing that, I think we'll really be on a good way.

"And then we can say that Bafana has made progress in the last year, and we can build on that progress made until now to make this team better, and really be ready for AFCON in January."

Morocco are two points clear of Bafana with six points from two matches played in Group K, while Liberia are bottom with one point from three matches after Zimbabwe were disqualified due to their FIFA suspension in February 2022.

The prospect of beating a World Cup semi-finalist is something very special to Broos and his lads.

"If you are a player and you can play against a team like Morocco at the moment, you'll want to show yourself – if you don't have that mentality, you have to stop playing football," he added.

"I saw the guys together for the last week, and I see that they are ready to try and show that they are good players, and that we are a good team.

"The motivation is there, and okay, both teams are qualified, so what are we playing for? We're playing for prestige, and this is something very important for Morocco as well [to see] if they can beat us, but likewise for us.

"Maybe there's more motivation for us because we can beat the best team in Africa at the moment, so you can be sure that the motivation is there."