Bafana Bafana Coach Hugo Broos Explains Why a Four-Year AFCON Cycle Will Benefit African Teams

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has voiced his support for the Confederation of African Football's decision to move the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to a four-year cycle, believing it will enhance the performance of African teams on the world stage.

Speaking on Christmas Day as his squad finalised preparations for a pivotal Group B clash against Egypt, the outspoken coach endorsed the change, which is set to take effect after the 2028 tournament.

"I think it’s a good thing that from 2028 the Africa Cup of Nations will be after four years," Hugo Broos stated at the press conference.

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"You can see what is happening now; we just had the FIFA Club World Cup in June, now there is AFCON, and there is the World Cup in six months."

The Bafana Bafana coach argued that the congested international calendar has been a distraction. "It is a good thing because every team that has qualified for AFCON can really focus on the tournament," he explained.

"Being at the World Cup is the highest, and I think it is a good thing that things are a bit in order now."

The new schedule, he believes, will create a more logical progression for national teams. "You will have the World Cup, and two years later, you have AFCON, and then it continues like that. It is better like this, not only for African teams but for every team in Europe."

He suggested that a less frequent AFCON could lead to more consistent success for African nations at the FIFA World Cup, citing Morocco's recent semifinal run as a benchmark.

"Morocco did a good job at the previous World Cup... maybe that [the four-year ruling] can help African countries go further," Hugo Broos remarked.

Shifting focus to the immediate task, Hugo Broos emphasised the importance of their upcoming match against Egypt at Agadir Stadium.

A victory over the seven-time champions would virtually guarantee South Africa a spot in the last 16 and significantly boost their chances of topping the group, which would likely help them avoid a knockout clash with hosts Morocco.

Bafana Bafana enter the match on the back of a hard-fought 2-1 win over Angola, a result that has eased the pressure ahead of facing the Pharaohs.

"It was important to win our first game and avoid playing this match against Egypt with a knife at our throat," Broos said.

"This doesn’t mean we don’t want to win against Egypt, because if we win, we will put ourselves in a good position to qualify for the next stage."

A win on Friday would allow South Africa to approach their final group game against Zimbabwe without the stress of needing a result.