Broos excited as South Africa aim for AFCON glory

IT WOULD be stretching it a little to suggest Hugo Broos resembled a kid in a sweetshop as he anticipated the start of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

- MATSHELANE MAMABOLO

HUGO Broos, head coach of South Africa, could not hide his excitement during the press conference ahead of their Group B opening match against Angola in Marrakech tonight.

(BackpagePix)

Yet for a coach going into his third tournament, the old man's excitement was palpable. And that's a good thing as South Africa seek to win only their second title in three decades.

There was no air of 'been there, done that' as would have been the case with some coaches - as the Belgian coach of Bafana Bafana addressed the media ahead of their Group B opener against Angola in Marrakech tonight (7pm kickoff). Instead, there was a glint in the septuagenarian's eye as he reflected on his previous two experiences which yielded medals.

A winner with Cameroon back in 2017 and a bronze medalist with South Africa two years ago, Broos still exuded the excitement of a rookie at the biennial, continental showpiece. Transfer some of that excitement to his team and Bafana could well return home champions, his refusal to accept the 'favourites' tag notwithstanding.