Dillon Sheppard praises Bafana Bafana's evolution ahead of AFCON

Former Bafana Bafana midfielder Dillon Sheppard has praised the national team’s recent evolution and believes coach Hugo Broos faces some of his toughest selection decisions yet as the next Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) approaches.

Bafana will travel to Morocco among the genuine contenders for the continental title, buoyed by their impressive third-place finish at the previous tournament. That campaign ended in heartbreak when they were eliminated by Nigeria in the semi-finals, losing 4–2 in a penalty shootout after a tense 1–1 draw in regulation time.

Since that run, Broos and his squad have continued to build momentum, restoring South Africa’s standing as a major force on the continent. They have also secured qualification for next year’s World Cup—an achievement earned through a campaign that may have had its stumbles but ultimately delivered a historic result.

Sheppard, who previously represented Bafana at the 2002 AFCON hosted by Mali and now serves as an assistant coach for the Kaizer Chiefs DStv Diski Challenge side, says that from a coaching perspective this upcoming squad selection will likely be one of Broos’s most demanding. 

With more depth and competition for places than in recent years, he believes the national coach will have several difficult calls to make.

“When I look at the balance of the team, I see a lot of quality,” Sheppard said.

“Looking back to where we come from and the steps we have taken, the squad depth and the players that can come in, coach Broos will have a headache, not only for the players he has selected but also those he has to leave out and the quality they have.”

South Africa’s showing at last year’s AFCON demonstrated their growing competitiveness, and Sheppard is confident that Bafana now have the capability to push for the country’s second continental crown.

“I have high hopes and belief that we can go out there and possibly win it because if you look at the countries that we have recently been competing against, like Nigeria with all their stars, we were able to compete with them at the highest level.

“Coach Hugo and his technical team have done an unbelievable job, and with the next coach that will be coming in, hopefully they can carry on with that.”

The tournament is set for the end of the year, a period that coincides with crucial stages of the European football calendar. With many African stars based abroad, this scheduling has long contributed to AFCON being undervalued, as some clubs hesitate to release their key players. 

Sheppard believes the competition deserves far greater respect and recognition than it has been given.

“I do not think the AFCON gets the credit it deserves,” he continued.

“I have heard negative talk around the world, with some European teams sending their players back, which is very negative because it’s one of the biggest tournaments in the world, and it deserves the respect.

“You see all the foreign players, like (Mohamed) Salah; they all want to be a part of it, and it tells you something—they all want to play, compete, and win it.

“With myself being in Mali, the experience I had being around the likes of Shaun Bartlett as a young player, and the experience I gained, there was just no better feeling.”