jasdooit

It’s brutal but accurate thatBafana Bafana’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) the campaign will be considered a failure if they are defeated byCameroonin their Round of 16 match on Sunday.

That’s not because fans from South Africa are overly critical, but rather because of the heightened expectations for this team under the coach.Hugo Broos. This is sure to happen again when his team enters the Agdal Medina Stadium, in Rabat.

Although Cameroon have won the Afcon five times, Bafana could still see themselves as the favorites in this encounter.

After the Belgian assumed control in 2021, this Bafana team has demonstrated consistent progress.

Bafana’s Ascent: Bridging the Gap with Cameroon and Strong Showings at Afcon

In the last Afcon, Bafana were among the most impressive teams in the tournament, eventually securing third position at the African championship.

Cameroon has also failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, whereas South Africa managed to do so for the first time since the 2002 tournament (Bafana qualified automatically as hosts in 2010).

Bafana’s steady results under Broos have narrowed the gap with Cameroon in the Fifa rankings. Cameroon is ranked 57th worldwide and 10th in Africa, whereas Bafana stands at 61st globally and 11th on the continent.

During Bafana’s group stage matches, the most significant showing was their game against Egypt, even though they lost 1-0 on Boxing Day.

Although Egypt held the upper hand in the first half and were given a disputed but properly awarded penalty, whichLiverpool legend Mohamed SalahBafana secured a 1-0 win with a well-executed performance at home.

With Egypt down to 10 players in the second half, Bafana appeared as a danger until the final whistle. This against one of the tournament favorites was significant.

In truth, it was quite insightful that Egypt, despite their elegance and aggressive approach, failed to find the net in open play during the initial period.

It demonstrated that Bafana, led by Broos, can match the top teams on the continent in terms of strategy even without having star players in their lineup.

@Michael_Sherman

IOL Sport