Ivory Coast test can show Broos where Bafana are before Afcon

The test against a strong Ivory Coast next week will give coach Hugo Broos an idea of Bafana Bafana’s performance level less than three months before the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon). 

Bafana take on Eswatini at FNB Stadium on Friday (6pm) and host the Elephants in the Ivory Coast on Tuesday. The friendly matches are part of their preparations for the start of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers next month and Afcon in January and February. 

Against Ivory Coast, Bafana will be up against players such as defender Serge Aurier of English Premier League side Nottingham Forest and forwards Franck Kessie of Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli, Sébastien Haller of Borussia Dortmund and Wilfried Zaha of Turkish Süper Lig club Galatasaray. 

“When you play against opponents like Ivory Coast, normally it increases your quality and that’s logical,” said Broos as Bafana prepared at the Pretoria University’s High-performance Centre. 

“When you always play against ‘smaller teams’ and you win, you will be happy about that but you don’t really progress. Therefore, playing against stronger teams is important and even if we lose against Ivory Coast we would have learnt something. 

“We will see what our level is when we play against such a team. [The] result is important but the most important thing is to see where we are three months before Afcon.” 

Broos said that with the Ivory Coast match they will know which areas to work on. 

“We will know what we have to do in the next months to become better. It has been a long time since we played against a good team and in front of a good crowd. 

Influential attacker

“I remember in France and after the game no-one understood that we learned something out of that game. It was only criticism but how can you learn when you don’t fail and everything is always good?” 

Bafana will take on Ivory Coast without influential attacker Percy Tau, who has asked to be excused for family reasons, and other players due to injuries. 

“This camp is again disturbed by injuries like last month. We have Bathusi Aubaas, Thapelo Morena, Innocent Maela and Thapelo Maseko. With Maseko it is something different. It is for the second time we have the surprise that the player is injured and suddenly he plays.

“It was [the same] last month with Khuliso Mudau and this month it is with Maseko. We need better communication between the national team and clubs so that we know how much the player is injured. 

“ I had contact with [Percy Tau] last week and for family reasons he has asked not to be here with us. I understood him but ... I am amused that he played for Al Ahly at the weekend. 

“Clubs need to understand that in very important periods they want to have their players but it is the same case for us as the national team because we are in an important phase.

“We are in preparations for qualifiers next month and for Afcon in January; I hope [for] a little more collaboration from that side. This means that we are not going to achieve our goal, which was to have nearly the same selection that won against Morocco. 

“We wanted to build up on that selection and have a good team for the qualifiers and in January at Afcon.”