Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has once again questioned the competitive level of the Premier Soccer League (PSL), insisting it is not strong enough to consistently produce players capable of competing at the highest international level.
The Belgian coach made the remarks on Wednesday morning after the South African national team returned home following their Round of 16 exit at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where they were eliminated by Cameroon.
Despite enjoying significant spells of possession, Bafana Bafana struggled to break down a disciplined Indomitable Lions side and were ultimately punished for their lack of cutting edge in front of goal. Cameroon managed just four shots on target in the match but converted two of them, underlining a level of clinical efficiency Broos believes South Africa currently lack.
According to the coach, that sharpness is largely developed through regular exposure to elite competition — something most South African players do not experience at club level.
“There are teams at the Cup of Nations with players who play in Europe. We mostly don’t have them, and that is a disadvantage for South Africa,” Broos said.
“Cameroon is a brand-new team, and when you see where those players are playing — their striker Christian Kofane is at Bayer Leverkusen. He’s 19 years old.”
Broos stressed that such environments are crucial for player development, insisting that the gap between domestic football and elite international competition can only be bridged through sustained challenges at club level.
“I said from the beginning that the level of the PSL compared with the level we faced in the last weeks is very different,” he added.
“You can only close that gap when you have players playing in very difficult competitions, week in, week out.”
While Bafana have occasionally lined up friendly matches against top opponents, Broos dismissed that approach as a temporary solution rather than a long-term fix.
“It’s not because you play once against Argentina or once against Ghana that suddenly your level will go up,” he explained.
“This has to happen at club level.”
Looking ahead, the coach confirmed he will take time to conduct a detailed review of South Africa’s AFCON campaign before submitting recommendations as part of preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
“We have to prepare for the World Cup and see what went wrong in the preparation for this AFCON and with the team,” Broos said.
“This analysis will be done in the coming weeks. Now is not the time to make declarations.”
