Hugo Broos: AFCON’s Lone Winner Returns With Caution, Not Noise
Among the 24 coaches heading to Morocco for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Hugo Broos occupies rare territory. He is the only man on the touchline who has already lifted the AFCON trophy.
Now 73, the Belgian remains African football’s most proven tournament operator, having guided Cameroon to the 2017 title, defying pre-tournament setbacks to beat Egypt in the final in Libreville. Eight years on, Broos returns not as a nostalgic figure, but as a coach whose recent work with South Africa has restored Bafana Bafana’s credibility on the continental stage.
His ambition is quietly historic. Only Hervé Renard has ever won AFCON with two different nations — Zambia in 2012 and Côte d’Ivoire in 2015. Broos knows what that company represents, but he also knows the danger of expectation.
Momentum, but no illusions
South Africa arrive in Morocco on the back of a third-place finish at AFCON 2023 in Ivory Coast, a run that exceeded external predictions and reignited belief back home. For Broos, that success has changed the tone — and the threat level.
“Last year we were not among the favourites and lost our opening match to Mali,” Broos recalled.
“Some people on social media said the pilot should keep the engine running because we would be flying back quickly.”
Instead, South Africa pushed all the way to the semi-finals, losing to Nigeria on penalties before defeating DR Congo — again on penalties — to secure bronze.
“That medal changes how opponents see us,” Broos warned. “Teams will be highly motivated to beat South Africa now.”
Group B: no room for error
Bafana Bafana have been placed in Group B alongside Angola, Egypt and Zimbabwe, a section Broos views as unforgiving rather than glamorous.
The opening fixture against Angola in Marrakesh is, in his view, decisive.
“Lose your first game and the pressure is immediate,” he said. “Then every match becomes a final.”
Failure to win the opener would leave South Africa needing results against seven-time champions Egypt, led by Mohamed Salah, and a Zimbabwe side Broos insists should not be dismissed.
“They may be the lowest ranked, but they always raise their level against us.”
Broos’ legacy in South Africa
Broos’ impact stretches beyond tournament results. He has led South Africa to back-to-back AFCON qualifications and secured a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, ending years of instability and missed targets.
Many already regard him as the country’s most influential coach since Clive Barker, who masterminded the 1996 AFCON triumph.
Yet Broos himself remains grounded, shaped by decades of tournament football where reputation offers no protection.
A changing coaching landscape
Broos is one of seven coaches returning from the previous AFCON, joined by Walid Regragui (Morocco), Sébastien Desabre (DR Congo), Chiquinho Conde (Mozambique), Juan Micha (Equatorial Guinea) and others.
The tournament will feature 14 African coaches, nine Europeans, and one South American — Argentina’s Miguel Gamondi with Tanzania. History, however, is not on Gamondi’s side. Only one South American coach, Brazilian Otto Glória with Nigeria in 1980, has ever won AFCON.
Egyptian and French coaches remain the most decorated, with five titles each — including Hassan Shehata’s unprecedented three in a row.
Experience over hype
As Morocco prepares to host AFCON 2025, Hugo Broos stands as a reminder that pedigree matters — but only to a point.
He arrives with medals, scars, and a clear-eyed understanding of tournament football. South Africa may dream, supporters may believe, but Broos is operating on a simpler principle:
Momentum earns respect. Discipline earns survival. And only results earn history.
