South Africa showed their quality in patches but were far too inconsistent to make a deep run into the tournament and there have been some major red flags ahead of their appearance at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Somewhat fortuitous victories over Angola (2-1) and Zimbabwe (3-2) were coupled with a 1-0 loss to 10-man Egypt in pool play and a 2-1 defeat to Cameroon in the Round of 16.
In both of those losses the key factor was an inability to take their chances and that is perhaps the biggest work-on heading into the World Cup.
Here are some of the talking points around Bafana’s tournament.
Lack of firepower
Across the four games, Bafana had 64 shots at goal, or an average of 16 per game. That is certainly a very good return. But only 23 of those, around a third, were on target and from those they scored six times. Finding a better cutting edge will be key, but quite how they do that over the next six months remains to be seen. There is no hot-shot striker waiting in the wings to come in and transform the team. Perhaps Iqraam Rayners can find his form again but he appears to have fallen down the pecking order. Lyle Foster and Evidence Makgopa do a particular job in the side but are not prolific scorers.
Turning possession to chances
Bafana averaged 63% possession across the four matches, which includes 66% against a very good Cameroon in the Round of 16. The question will be whether they used that dominance to their best advantage, and what were the quality of the chances they created. It is one thing to have the ball, but you have to use it effectively. What is quite clear is they will have nowhere near as much in their World Cup games, which means being more effective becomes even more important. Would a Themba Zwane improve them in this regard?
Far too open at the back
Bafana conceded three goals in seven games on their way to the bronze medal at the 2023 AFCON, but shipped six in four games in this edition, and were perhaps fortunate it was not more. It is strange as they had been pretty tight in the recent World Cup qualifiers, but were too open for much of this tournament. They allowed 46 shots at goal in their four games. That is not necessary a defensive issue, it starts with how a team presses from the front and how compact the midfield is. They will face much better attacks at the World Cup …
Was the mindset right?
A few journalists have eluded to this, that the players did not seem their usual happy selves over the course of the tournament, and that something was off in the camp. Coach Hugo Broos did not deny this after the Cameroon defeat, saying only that there will be an evaluation of everything in the weeks after the tournament. That does not mean the players were unhappy with each other or the coaching team. The timing of this AFCON over the festive season has taken many people, including players, away from their families at a time when they would usually be with their children and partners. They are professional players yes, but human beings too. Also, has the mindset already shifted to the World Cup and this AFCON was a poor cousin in their eyes to the major looming event in their lives? Perhaps so.
Hugo Broos’ tactics
Broos switched to a back five for the Round of 16 clash against Cameroon, moving away from 4-2-3-1 they had played through the tournament and most of the World Cup qualifiers. Was it a necessary change? They seemed to lose some control in midfield, and while still able to create chances, Cameroon were able to assert themselves when they were looking to get forward on the ball. Once the latter went 2-0 up they largely sat back and invited pressure, which gives the possession and shots at goal stats a slightly skewed look. Centre-back Nkosinathi Sibisi had not played a single minute coming into the game, while winger Relebohile Mofokeng, who missed a golden early chance, just 22 minutes. A big ask to throw them into a clash against a very good Indomitable Lions side.