SA aim to keep momentum ahead of AFCON and World Cup

JUST like Rome, Bafana Bafana's recent achievements weren't built in a day. That's why the team aims to maintain their momentum and continue growing in leaps and bounds.

- MIHLALI BALEKA

Bafana are arguably the most improved team on the continent. They’ve qualified for back-to-back AFCON tournaments under the same coach, Hugo Broos, for the first time in years, and have automatically secured their ticket to the 2026 Fifa World Cup — their first appearance since the 2002 edition.

Their participation in the AFCON finals next month in Morocco will be different — this time, they'll be among the favourites. That status follows their impressive third-place finish in the last edition in Ivory Coast.

As such, they can’t afford to falter. They need to prepare thoroughly to ensure they surpass last year’s performance and claim the coveted African crown for the first time since 1996, when they triumphed on home soil.