AFCON: Hugo Broos blasts CAF ahead of Cameroon blockbuster

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has never been one to bite his tongue, and on the eve of South Africa’s high-stakes AFCON Round of 16 clash against Cameroon, the veteran tactician has directed his fire at CAF’s logistical planning in Rabat.

Despite the sentimental weight of facing the nation he led to continental glory in 2017, Broos’s focus has been disrupted by what he describes as “unacceptable” travel times and a questionable choice of training venues.

After spending the group stages transitioning between Marrakech and Agadir, Bafana Bafana relocated to the capital, Rabat, on Friday. However, the move has been anything but smooth. Broos revealed that the squad is being forced to commute 45 minutes each way to reach their designated training pitch.

The “Three-Hour” Training Headache At AFCON For Bafana

“I’m not so happy with the current situation,” Broos told the media. “We are 45 minutes away from our training pitch. Yesterday, we were away for more than three hours just to have a training session. Forty-five minutes to drive, an hour and 50 minutes training, and another 45 minutes to drive back. It doesn’t make me happy.”

🚨 𝗛𝗨𝗚𝗢 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗬 🚨

Hugo Broos has raised serious concerns about their current setup. Not only is the squad losing 90 mins a day to travel, but they are training at the base of Morocco – potential QF opponents.

Broos feels the setup is far from ideal.… pic.twitter.com/A5wU5nMtg6

— Mthokozisi Dube (@dube_mthoko) January 3, 2026

For a 73-year-old coach who prioritises recovery and precision, these logistical hurdles are viewed as an unnecessary drain on player energy ahead of a knockout match.

A Conflict of Interest?

Broos’s second grievance carries a more conspiratorial undertone. The South African camp has reportedly been assigned to train at the Moroccan national team’s base camp—the very side they are slated to face in the quarterfinals should they overcome the Indomitable Lions.

“If my information is right, we have to train in the base camp of Morocco, our next potential opponent. I don’t understand how CAF allowed that,” Broos said. “It makes me very unhappy.”

Despite his frustrations with the organisers, Broos was clinical when discussing the task at hand. While he acknowledges a lifelong emotional bond with Cameroon following their 2017 triumph, he insists there is no room for sentimentality once the whistle blows at El Medina Stadium on Sunday night.

“If you win an AFCON with a country, there’s always a little place in your heart that stays for the rest of your life. But tomorrow, I can’t have mercy on them. I want to win because I am the coach of South Africa now.”

As Bafana Bafana prepares for their 9:00 PM kickoff, the message from the camp is clear: they are fighting against both a continental giant on the pitch and administrative hurdles off it.