“My Players Are Ready”: Hugo Broos Speaks Ahead of South Africa’s Clash vs Mali

• Hugo Broos says South Africa are ready for their AFCON campaign
• Bafana Bafana will trade tackles with Mali in their opening fixture
• South Africa are aiming to win the AFCON trophy for a second time

South Africa manager, Hugo Broos, is upbeat about his team’s chances of causing an upset against Mali when both teams clash on Tuesday night in their Africa Cup of Nations opener.

Bafana Bafana are ranked as underdogs coming into the encounter against the Eagles, who have appeared in 10 of the last 11 editions of the tournament.

According to Opta Analyst, this will be Mali's third meeting with South Africa in the Africa Cup of Nations, with the Eagles winning the previous two, in quarter-finals in 2002 and 2013.

Broos is, however, confident that his Bafana Bafana players will be ready for the challenge the Malians will bring in Tuesday’s encounter at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium.

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South Africa have failed to score any goals in five of their last eight games across all competitions but Broos will hope his team will come with their scoring boots if they are to mastermind any upset.

Broos targets winning AFCON again

Meanwhile, South Africa's coach, Broos, says the feeling of lifting Africa’s most sought-after trophy is a fantastic feeling that one would want to experience more than once, CAF Online reports.

Broos guided Cameroon to their fifth AFCON title in 2017, and the Belgian has been given the task of leading Bafana Bafana to their first continental title since their 1998 triumph on home soil.

South Africa will open their Group E campaign against the Eagles of Mali on Tuesday evening.

Broos fears early AFCON exit

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that South Africa manager, Broos, has acknowledged that leaving the Africa Cup of Nations early will be a huge blow to Bafana Bafana.

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South Africa is one of the unknown entities in the 2023 AFCON with all of the right components on paper but lacking confidence on the pitch.

The majority of the squad had a demanding second half of 2023 with Mamelodi Sundowns, and even Broos wonders how much more fuel they have in their individual tanks.