Bafana Bafana focus on winning AFCON opener to set tone for campaign

Bafana Bafana assistant coach Helman Mkhalele has stressed the importance of starting their AFCON campaign with a victory, saying that will set the tone for the rest of the tournament.

Bafana will return to the continental showpiece — to be held in Morocco from December 21 to January 18 — as dark horses, having been on an upward trajectory that includes qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

While Hugo Broos’ men and the rest of the nation share the belief that they should improve on their third-place finish from the last edition in Ivory Coast and aim to go all the way in Morocco, they remain grounded and cautious.

Bafana are planning to take it one game at a time, starting with their opening match against Angola on December 22, followed by Egypt on December 26 (Boxing Day), before concluding the group stage against arch-rivals Zimbabwe on December 29.

Having lost their opening group-stage match against Mali in the last edition — despite eventually finishing third — Mkhalele said they cannot afford to repeat that mistake this time around.

Mkhalele, who was joined by several of his 1996 AFCON-winning teammates, including Doctor Khumalo, Andre Arendse, Mark Williams, John Motale and Shaun Bartlett, during the team’s send-off event hosted by sponsors Castle at FNB Stadium on Thursday afternoon, said the current squad can draw inspiration from their historic triumph.

“We have a good squad, and we believe in the team we have. It can make the country proud,” Mkhalele said.

“We’ll work hard to make sure we win our first game — and use the inspiration of 1996. That year, we were said to be in a group of death, but we made sure to win our first match against Cameroon.

“So we’ll go into that game with the same attitude and make sure we win. We know, with all due respect to the other teams, that Egypt will be tougher opponents. So it’s important to win the first game — and the rest as well.”

Bafana are in high spirits and determined to win the country’s second continental crown in Morocco. Their preparations will also be boosted by a friendly against Ghana at Dobsonville Stadium on December 16.

“Each and every player knows what is expected of them when they join Bafana Bafana,” Mkhalele added. “They are ready when we look at them, even though it won’t be easy.

“They just have to work hard to achieve the results we aspire to in the tournament.”

Bafana’s preparations are running smoothly — so much so that Mkhalele revealed the matter involving Mbekezeli Mbokazi, who arrived late to camp, has been resolved by the technical team.

“I won’t go into detail, but all I can say is that the issue is resolved,” Mkhalele said. “We need to make sure we continue thoroughly with our preparations.”

Coach Hugo Broos also has great confidence in his squad, having included youngsters Shandre Campbell and Tylon Smith in his 25-man team.

The duo are not expected to feature prominently at the tournament, as Broos said he trusts his experienced core, but he wanted the youngsters in camp to gain experience and become key figures in the future.

Mkhalele echoed his superior’s sentiment, saying this is the ideal time to integrate them into the senior national team.

“When you look at a team, having younger players is important because they are our future,” Mkhalele said. “It’s the right time for them to see what it’s like to perform on the biggest stage in African football.”