Hugo Broos Explains Why He is Proud Despite Bafana Bafana Early AFCON 2025 Exit

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has shared his thoughts on the team's 2-1 defeat to Cameroon, which ended their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign in the round of 16 on Sunday night.

Despite a strong start to the match, South Africa's inability to convert several clear-cut opportunities ultimately proved to be their downfall. Had they capitalised on their early dominance, the outcome could have been very different.

The Indomitable Lions took the lead before halftime and compounded Bafana Bafana's problems by scoring a second goal shortly after the restart.

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"I think we started the game very well and had chances to score. If we had scored then, I believe we would never have lost the game. Then, we had a bit of bad luck with the corner," Hugo Broos told SABC Sport

"Their player took a shot, it was blocked, and the ball fell right back to his feet. He shot again and scored for the 1-0."

The coach was still optimistic at the break, but was dealt a significant blow just minutes into the second half.

"I was happy with our performance in the first half, so we planned to go all-in for the second. But then, after just a few minutes, we conceded a second goal," he explained.

"That was a pity because it meant we had to score twice. Even then, we created the chances to score those two goals and secure a draw, but it just wasn't our day."

Bafana Bafana kept fighting and were rewarded with a late goal from substitute Evidence Makgopa in the final two minutes, but it was too little, too late to salvage a result.

"You know, when you concede a second goal so quickly after halftime, it cuts your legs out from under you, so to speak," Broos added.

"But we kept on fighting. We had chances and could have made it 2-1 much earlier, which might have led to a 2-2 draw. You saw what happened in the last ten minutes.

"We just launched the ball forward, and they defended well. It's certainly a disappointment for every one of us, but I can't be unhappy with the game we played today."

"Sometimes you need luck on your side," Hugo Broos further stated. "Two years ago, in the quarter-final against Cape Verde, Ronwen Williams made a big save; otherwise, we could have lost that game. Today we didn’t have luck on our side."

The coach insisted the loss was not a step backwards for the team and emphasised the need for a thorough review before their next major campaign.

"We are not going backwards, but we do have to make a good evaluation of what happened here at this tournament as we look forward to the World Cup," he explained.

"Maybe in some games, performances were not at the level of South Africa that everyone knows, but you can’t say that for today."

Looking ahead, Hugo Broos will evaluate what failed to work for Bafana Bafana as preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup begin.