South Africa legend Shaun Bartlett urges players to be disciplined in AFCON 2025 bid

Former South Africa international Shaun Bartlett has urged the players to be disciplined in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title bid.

The 35th edition of the continental showpiece has been scheduled to run from December 21, 2025 through to January 18, 2026, with 24 countries set to battle it out for the ultimate.

Ahead of the tournament, Shaun Bartlett, who is now a coach has highlighted discipline as a major characteristic professional footballers ought to have to carve out a successful football career.

Bartlett was weighing in the Hugo Broos and Mbekezeli Mbokazi saga which saw the Bafana Bafana coach tear into Mbokazi’s ethic after he arrived late in camp earlier this week.

Broos was scathing on Mbokazi that he questioned the former Orlando Pirates defender’s commitment to his game.

“I don’t mess around – that’s the first thing of playing football. If you’re late for a training [session] or a meeting, that’s part of discipline,” said Bafana legend, Shaun Bartlett.

“And I’ve always said it to players, the way you play your football is the way you live your life, and if you’re going to be careless off the field that’s the way you’re going to be in a team environment too.

“So when it comes to discipline and whatever coaches’ rules are, you’ve got to respect that and I think you’re an individual but you’re part of a team, and you can’t have ill-discipline before a massive tournament for South Africa, if we want to win it.

“It’s not just about training and playing, even the mental aspect and nutrition – everything, even strength and conditioning, all goes hand-in-hand to get results, it’s not just one thing that will get us winning this AFCON in Morocco.”

Bafana are paired in the same group against record AFCON holders, Egypt, Angola, and Zimbabwe at the continental showpiece.