Hugo Broos will start the journey of his last AFCON opportunity with Bafana Bafana keen to mastermind yet another successful campaign.
Broos took Bafana to the semi-finals against all odds in Cote d'Ivoire, bringing back the senior national team into the top 10 ranked nations on the continent again.
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The Belgian must plot another AFCON mission from scratch and will do so by having to play the first two of the six qualifiers within the next four weeks.
Bafana have been thrown into Group K of the qualifiers along with Uganda, Congo-Brazzaville and South Sudan.
On paper, qualification should come without much of a hassle considering that the top two will go through.
Based on the latest FIFA rankings, Bafana are the best positioned in the group on 57 with Uganda ranked 95th, Congo 118th, and South Sudan down on position 169.
Bafana have never had much of issues in winning games against both the Cranes and the Red Devils, while they will play South Sudan for the first time.
The first group match is at home against Uganda on September 6, with the second away in Juba four days later.
Broos is expected to retain the core of his squad with Ronwen Williams, Khuliso Mudau, Aubrey Modiba, Siyabonga Ngezana, Teboho Mokoena, Iqraam Rayners, Sphephelo Sithole and Percy Tau all called up.
Qualification will take Bafana to the 2025 AFCON finals to run from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, in Morocco with 24 countries involved.
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It is in Morocco where Broos will then be hoping for another good showing in his last AFCON.
The 72-year-old will leave the Bafana job after the expiry of his contract in June 2026, by which time he will hope to have taken the senior national team to the World Cup.