The Belgian coach has not tasted defeat, on the pitch at least, since the opening game of the last Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, when they were outclassed by Mali, who won 2–0.
Bafana finished third at that tournament, and along with their qualification for the 2026 World Cup, expectations have been raised heading into the 35th instalment of the African championship.
The team will be based for the entire tournament in Marrakech after CAF introduced the Team Base Camps concept that has become popular at World Cups and the European Championships.
It means teams stay in one hotel throughout the competition and use one training field, allowing them to settle in and become familiar with their surroundings, always returning to the same ‘home’.
It cuts down on travel, the packing and unpacking for players and staff, and brings routine and continuity for teams. It is the first time the concept has been used at an AFCON and is a welcome addition.
Bafana are one of four teams based in Marrakech, Morocco’s tourist mecca, along with fellow Group B sides Angola and Zimbabwe, and Ivory Coast.
They will stay at the Four Seasons Resort in the city, a five-star hotel that is among the best in Morocco. It is around a 15-minute drive from the resort to the Marrakech Stadium, which has a capacity of 40,600 for the tournament.
It is reportedly the only stadium in the world that is both rectangular in shape and has a running track, with most others being oval or bowl-shaped.
South Africa will face Angola there on Monday and Zimbabwe in their final Group B game on December 29.
They will make the three-hour drive to Agadir for their second pool clash against Egypt on December 26, but will only enter the city for the game, training in the build-up in Marrakech.
If they win Group B, they will play a potential Round of 16 and quarter-final match in Agadir, so will at least be familiar with the stadium. Their side of the draw would then include a semi-final in Tangier and the final in Rabat.
If they finish second in Group B, all their potential knockout games up to the final will be played in Rabat, though the third-place play-off is in Casablanca.
If they are one of the best third-placed sides, they will either play a Round of 16 match in Fes and then a quarter-final back in Marrakech, or have Round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final clashes in Tangier, depending on which side of the draw they end up on.
