Broos: ‘It shows what FIFA thinks about Africa’

Hugo Broos during the Bafana Bafana Squad Announcement at SAFA House in Johannesburg on 5 November 2025 ©Alche Greeff/BackpagePix

by Staff Reporter

Thursday Dec 11, 2025. 15:00

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos believes that FIFA shows little consideration to African teams following a date change as to when clubs are required to release players for the Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

While the showpiece will commence on 21 December, clubs were initially obliged to release their African players by 8 December, which was recently pushed back to 15 December.

With less time to incorporate players within the national team plans for AFCON, Broos believes that FIFA have been influenced by European clubs to make the change.

“I am wondering what countries like Morocco and Cameroon and the Ivory Coast and Senegal and Mali, who only have players playing abroad, are going to do,” Broos said, according to the Citizen.

“Morocco will get their players on the 15th and six days later they play their opening game. It shows again what FIFA thinks about Africa.

“I am sure they were also influenced by European clubs to change the dates.”