'Sometimes it is very important to have players in different positions, because you never know what you have to do,' said Bafana head coach Hugo Broos.
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has explained why tactical flexibility was important in his final squad selection for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
ALSO READ: Broos names surprise youngsters in final Bafana AFCON squad
Broos named a 25-man squad on Monday for the tournament, which runs from December 21 to January 18. Bafana are in Group B and will play Angola, Egypt and Zimbabwe in the battle for a place in the knockout rounds.
Bafana’s last AFCON experience
Bafana finished third at the last AFCON in the Ivory Coast, but Broos had to tweak his tactics after an opening defeat to Mali.
The Bafana head coach also shifted to a back five in the semifinals against Nigeria, which Bafana only just lost via a penalty shootout. Broos wants a squad that is again prepared for any game situation.
Broos mentioned this when explaining why he has selected Polokwane City right wing-back Thabang Matuludi. Matuludi has effectively been selected in place of Mamelodi Sundowns’ more experienced Thapelo Morena, because of Morena’s lack of game time with Masandawana.
“Sometimes it is very important to have players in different positions, because you never know what you have to do,” said Broos.
“At the last AFCON against Nigeria we played with three central defenders and it was a good tactic. This means we can make these choices. We have to think about that – what happens if you have to play in a certain tactical way?
“Before we had Morena. But he was injured in the last few months and didn’t play so much with Sundowns. So we couldn’t take him. He could play as a right-sided defender or right winger and it is important to have those players.”
Broos is adamant that this time Bafana cannot lose their opening match. They will take on Angola on December 22, before facing Egypt on December 26 and Zimbabwe on December 29.
“It is very important to win the first game,” he said.
“We saw at the last AFCON we lost the first game and from that point you have your backs to the wall. If we win (against Angola) it will be a big first step to survive the group stages.”
‘This team is so mature now’
Bafana have come on in leaps and bounds since the last AFCON, qualifying for this tournament, and for the 2026 Fifa World Cup finals next year in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
ALSO READ: Cardoso stands firm on Sundowns’ cautious approach
“The previous AFCON was a very good experience for us in how international football is played. We learned a lot and that helped us qualify for the World Cup and this AFCON. The team is so mature now, we go to this AFCON with much more experience. That is a big change in this team in the last two years,” added Broos.
