Online Reporter
GROUP B in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco this month could be wide open following shake-ups in three nations — South Africa, Egypt and Zimbabwe — who are regarded as favourites to finish in the top two and reach the knock-out stage.
Bafana Bafana’s challenges have been widely documented, with coach Hugo Broos coming under heavy scrutiny in recent days over accusations of racism and sexism.
This followed comments in which Broos suggested that defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi would have “changed the colour of his skin from black to white” out of fear after discussing his late arrival to camp. Broos was also alleged to have been sexist towards Mbokazi’s agent, Basia Michaels, referring to her as a “nice little lady, who thinks she knows football” in conversations about the defender’s move to Chicago Fire next year.
Broos took responsibility for his words, issuing an apology while maintaining that he did not intend to be racist or sexist.
“I agree that my choice of words was not the right one, and I want to apologise for that,” the Belgian said, in a pre-match press conference ahead of their final home friendly against Ghana on Tuesday.
“But I never, I repeat, never wanted to make a racist or sexist comment. I am neither a racist nor a sexist.” The negative attention was far from ideal for the team, who needed to prepare under quieter and healthier conditions at the University of Pretoria’s High Performance Centre over the past few days.
Bafana captain Ronwen Williams confirmed that camp had faced several disruptions, including the temporary unavailability of three overseas-based players.
Sphephelo Sithole (Portugal), Shandre Campbell (Belgium) and Lyle Foster (England) will join the squad in Morocco today, after their clubs complied with FIFA regulations requiring players to be released only five days before the tournament.
While such challenges are common among the 24 AFCON nations, additional factors could hinder teams from fielding their strongest sides during the group stage and throughout the tournament.
Bafana Bafana look far more experienced and better prepared to avoid stage fright or struggling to live up to their “dark horses” tag at the tournament. They were set to fly out to Morocco last night, where they will be based in Marrakech. Bafana Bafana arrive not simply to make up the numbers, but to compete for the title and end a 30-year trophy drought.
They have been hard at work at the University of Pretoria High Performance Centre since assembling for camp following the suspension of the domestic season last week.
Their preparations culminated in an international friendly in Soweto on Tuesday afternoon, where they beat Ghana 1-0.
Broos was pleased with the result but not entirely satisfied with the performance, having started the match with a fringe team.
Bafana have also enjoyed significant success over the past two years, including finishing third at the last AFCON, qualifying unbeaten for Morocco, and securing direct entry to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Broos, fully aware that the tournament in Morocco will present a sterner test than two years ago in Cote d’Ivoire, remains unfazed.
“This team has experience,” Broos said.
“So, I am not worried about that. But we will feel and see that opponents will play in a totally different way than they did two years ago.”
While Broos believes Bafana are in a strong position to compete for the crown, the team have had to navigate several disruptions.
Broos has not trained with his full squad in recent days, as Sphephelo Sithole, Lyle Foster, and Shandre Campbell are only expected to join the team in Morocco after being released late by their European clubs.
Egypt bank on Salah
Egypt, the most successful nation in AFCON history with seven titles, will welcome back captain Mohamed Salah, who has been at odds with Liverpool and head coach Arne Slot.
Salah expressed frustration after a 3–3 draw with Leeds United, accusing Liverpool of failing to honour promises made before the start of the season amid ongoing contract negotiations.
He also revealed a strained relationship with Slot, who had started him on the bench in three consecutive matches. The 33-year-old returned to action on Saturday, coming on in the 26th minute and registering an assist to break the English Premier League record for most goal contributions for a single club. — iol.co.za
