Bafana Bafana set semi-final target for next World Cup – Motsepe issues bold challenge

CAF president Patrice Motsepe has told Bafana Bafana their ambition for the next FIFA World Cup must be to reach at least the semi-finals – or even the final – after South Africa’s historic run to the knockout phase.

Historic breakthrough fuels higher expectations

Speaking in Sandton, Johannesburg, Motsepe praised Bafana Bafana for advancing beyond the group stage for the first time and insisted the team, and the continent, must now think bigger on the global stage.

Under Belgian coach Hugo Broos, South Africa finished second in Group A and advanced to the last 32, securing progression with a crucial victory over South Korea in their final group match.

Motsepe, who is also president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), said the World Cup performances of African teams had strengthened his belief that a side from the continent can soon be crowned world champions.

“I am very proud. African football is proud. We set very high standards for ourselves. Our key objective, and we are now more confident, is to see an African nation becoming champions of the world. I am more confident than ever before that can indeed happen,” he said.

“Bafana Bafana played very well. Senegal played very well. I can say Ghana played well. Algeria…the two nations that did exceptional well, and it’s purely based on results, is Egypt and Morocco. The results speak for themselves, but we are here in South Africa and I am going to leave a message, which is the same message I will give to everyone of the 54 countries on the continent.”

‘Semi-finals at least’ – Motsepe’s message to South Africa

Motsepe used the media briefing to set out a clear and ambitious benchmark for South Africa’s next World Cup campaign.

“One of the objectives of South Africa has to be ‘at the next FIFA World Cup, we are going to go to the semi-finals at least or the finals’. You can do that. And the same applies to everyone of the 10 nations,” he said.

His comments follow a World Cup in which African sides delivered one of their strongest collective showings. Nine of the 10 African qualifiers progressed from the group stage, with Egypt and Morocco reaching the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Argentina and France respectively.

Continental review conference planned in Nigeria

Motsepe revealed that CAF will convene a post-World Cup conference in Nigeria to assess performances and plot how to take African football to the next level.

“We are going to have a conference and the agenda is very simple: what did we learn from the performances of the national teams at the World Cup? What can we do better? What are some of the areas for improvement? What are the areas we can take confidence from?” he explained.

He urged African associations to adopt a forward-looking mindset and build on the positives rather than dwell on setbacks.

“We live in era, not just in football but in society, where it’s important to keep on looking at the positive and be optimistic. There are always things that will discourage you, but we should spend more than 80 percent on the positive and take inspiration from that. We are a great continent. We have exceptional football talent and we can do much better and we will do much better. We need each other.”

Continental ambition rising

Motsepe’s challenge to Bafana Bafana reflects a broader push within CAF to turn competitive performances into tangible World Cup success.

With more African sides set to qualify under the expanded World Cup format, the CAF president believes the conditions are right for the continent to shed its underdog status and seriously contest for the title – and expects South Africa to be among those leading the charge.