Bafana Bafana’s head coach, Hugo Broos, acknowledges the formidable challenge of facing Morocco, the top-ranked team in Africa, but remains confident that South Africa can create another upset in the African Cup of Nations (Afcon). Broos draws inspiration from the unexpected exits of traditional powerhouses like Egypt, Ghana, Tunisia, and Cameroon at the hands of underdogs in the tournament.

Despite recognizing the difficulty of the task at hand, Broos points to Bafana’s previous victory over Morocco in June, instilling belief in the team’s ability to triumph. Morocco, ranked first in Africa and having achieved an impressive fourth-place finish at the World Cup in Qatar in December 2022, boasts a squad filled with high-profile players.

In a media conference at the match venue, Broos stated, “It’ll be very difficult, but on the other side, this Afcon is full of surprises as we’ve seen a few big countries are already home.” Bafana midfielder Siphephelo Sithole emphasized the need for the team to bring their A-game and work collectively to secure a positive result against Morocco.

Despite the challenges, Broos remains optimistic about the possibility of Bafana creating another surprise at Afcon. The coach also revealed that Khuliso Mudau and Mothobi Mvala would undergo late fitness tests to determine their availability after sustaining knocks in the previous game against Tunisia. The clash between South Africa and Morocco in the Afcon last 16 is set to take place at Laurent Pokou Stadium in San Pedro.