Hugo Broos Rubbishes Criticism Levelled Against Him After Bafana Bafana’s Early AFCON Exit
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has dismissed the wave of negativity on social media following South Africa’s early exit from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
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The team had entered the 2025 tournament with high hopes of claiming the title for the first time since their historic victory on home soil in 1996.
In the 2023 edition, held in Ivory Coast, South Africa had exceeded expectations by finishing third despite being considered underdogs.
In this latest campaign, Mzansi secured second place in Group B, behind Egypt, while also competing against COSAFA representatives Angola and Zimbabwe. However, their journey ended in the Round of 16, where they were defeated by five-time champions Cameroon, who themselves were later eliminated by Morocco in the quarter-finals.
Broos hits back at critics online
Broos emphasised that the experience, though disappointing at times, provided valuable lessons to build upon.
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“It was a meaningful experience, even if at moments it felt like a tough one. You have to look at it that way. For a country like South Africa, participation in every AFCON is essential,” Broos told reporters.
“We achieved that for a while. This edition may not have gone as well as the previous one, but being part of the tournament is what matters most. We are also heading to the World Cup. I hope in the years ahead, South Africa will continue appearing in AFCON and World Cup tournaments, because those are the stages where real growth happens.”
The Belgian coach also expressed frustration with the unconstructive criticism on social media. “I don’t read social media because it’s mostly nonsense. I have 40 years of experience, and I know that when things go well, nobody speaks, but when there’s a loss, everyone suddenly has an opinion,” he said.
“People are loud now, but I can handle that. I’ve spent four years making decisions based on what’s right for the team, not on what social media says. I won’t change that approach in these last six months either,” the 73-year-old concluded.
Source: Briefly News
