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"contents": "South Africa’s senior men’s soccer side, also known as Bafana Bafana, were drawn into Group B of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon). The team, which is coached by Hugo Broos, were grouped with seven-time champions Egypt, captained by Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, plus Angola and neighbours Zimbabwe.\r\n\r\nBafana Bafana were in pot two for the draw, which took place on Monday in Rabat, Morocco. The north African nation will host the tournament towards the end of 2025.\r\n\r\nIn their pot, South Africa were alongside Cameroon, Mali, Tunisia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burkina Faso.\r\n<h4><b>Comfortable qualification</b></h4>\r\nBafana Bafana will be at Morocco 2025 on the back of clinching their first Afcon medal in more than two decades at the 2023 edition, hosted by Ivory Coast. They qualified for the upcoming edition with two matches to spare.\r\n\r\nSouth Africa qualified for the tournament after finishing Group K undefeated and perched at the summit last year. They were placed with Uganda, Congo-Brazzaville and South Sudan. After the team’s displays in Ivory Coast, some regard them as contenders for a second African title.\r\n\r\nA gold medal in Morocco would place Broos alongside Clive Barker, who guided Bafana Bafana to their sole major silverware with victory at Afcon 1996.\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2038072\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/1578892-e1706881715597.jpg\" alt=\"Afcon\" width=\"1943\" height=\"1180\" /> <em>Flashback to 3 February 1996 and winning Afcon final captain Neil Tovey of South Africa holds the cup aloft after President Nelson Mandela presented it. South Africa beat Tunisia 2-0. (Photo: Mark Thompson/ALLSPORT)</em></p>\r\n\r\n“The growth and development of this team in the last few years has been amazing. After not qualifying in the past, coach Hugo Broos has established Bafana Bafana as one the best on the continent,” said beleaguered South African Football Association (Safa) president Danny Jordaan.\r\n\r\n“After taking the team to the bronze medal at the Afcon in Ivory Coast last year, he qualified Bafana Bafana to the next tournament unbeaten and in the same year.”\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2357392\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TL_2160176-1.jpg\" alt=\"bafana broos\" width=\"1745\" height=\"1148\" /> <em>Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos. (Photo: Ashley Vlotman / Gallo Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\nJordaan is facing charges of fraud and theft within Safa and is out on R20,000 bail.\r\n\r\n“The performance of the players can also be seen in the level of confidence they display in their clubs,” said Jordaan. “We have a number of players who have established themselves on the international stage and are now household names on this continent.”\r\n\r\nConfederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe said he was looking forward to Morocco hosting an unforgettable tournament in a few months.\r\n\r\n“The quality of African football continues to improve significantly; it is respected worldwide… The previous Afcon in Ivory Coast was very successful, but Morocco is going to be even more exciting and successful,” said Motsepe.<b> DM</b>\r\n<h4><b>Africa Cup of Nations groups </b></h4>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><b>Group A:</b> Morocco, Mali, Zambia, Comoros</li>\r\n \t<li><b>Group B:</b> Egypt, South Africa, Angola, Zimbabwe</li>\r\n \t<li><b>Group C: </b>Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania</li>\r\n \t<li><b>Group D:</b> Senegal, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Benin, Botswana</li>\r\n \t<li><b>Group E:</b> Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan</li>\r\n \t<li><b>Group F:</b> Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Gabon, Mozambique</li>\r\n</ul>",
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Flashback to 3 February 1996 and winning Afcon final captain Neil Tovey of South Africa holds the cup aloft after President Nelson Mandela presented it. South Africa beat Tunisia 2-0. (Photo: Mark Thompson/ALLSPORT)
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos. (Photo: Ashley Vlotman / Gallo Images)