Bafana Bafana, Hugo Broos Hailed by Mali Coach and Captain Ahead of AFCON 2023 Opener

• South Africa will begin their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations campaign against Mali on Tuesday
• Hugo Broos will be leading Bafana Bafana to AFCON for the first time since winning it in 2017
• Mali's coach and captain have showered praises on the South African squad and their manager

Hugo Broos and Bafana Bafana of South Africa have been hailed by their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations opponent's coach and captain ahead of their first game.

South Africa will face Mali in their first AFCON 2023 group game on Tuesday, January 16.

Ivorian-born manager Eric Chelle will lead the Eagles to the AFCON tournament for the first time and hopes to perform better than the last edition.

According to iDiskiTimes, the former Malian international had good words about Bafana Bafana and their coach, Broos, in an interview ahead of the game.

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"South Africa has a good team like all the players at AFCON. It is up to us to emerge as winners," he said.

"I like this team; they like to play. Since Hugo Broos arrived, they changed their system; they try to keep the ball and find errors from the opponent."

Real Sociedad star and Mali captain Hamari Traore also had praises set aside for the South Africa national team ahead of the game.

"First, as I said, South Africa is a great nation; we come with humbleness; we do not take them lightly; they've won the Africa Cup of Nations before; they are a big side, as the coach said, but we are conscious of a strength of weaknesses, we are ready to battle against them," he added.

Kekana speaks on Broos’ AFCON 2023 selection

Sport Brief earlier reported on Hlompho Kekana sharing his thoughts on Broos selecting 10 players from Premier Soccer League giants Mamelodi Sundowns for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.

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In an interview with FARPost, the Sundowns legend discussed about the current makeup of South Africa's AFCON squad and believed that airing his thoughts wouldn't change the situation.

South Africa are drawn in Group E alongside Mali, Namibia, and Tunisia, with their first game being against the Eagles.