RABAT, Morocco — South Africa’s coach, Hugo Broos, has expressed concern over the apparent lack of excitement surrounding the Africa Cup of Nations tournament held in Morocco.
Broos, who previously guided Cameroon to victory in 2017 and led South Africa to a third-place finish in the 2023 edition, noted on Sunday that the atmosphere for the 35th Africa Cup is disappointingly subdued.
“During the tournaments in Ivory Coast and Gabon, you felt the energy and enthusiasm everywhere you went,” Broos mentioned. “Fans were waving flags as we traveled to our training sessions, but here, there’s hardly anyone present. There’s a distinct lack of the usual AFCON atmosphere—it just isn’t here.”
Speaking from Marrakech ahead of South Africa’s final group match against Zimbabwe scheduled for Monday, Broos reflected on his team’s performance. They began the tournament with a gritty 2-1 victory over Angola but subsequently suffered a 1-0 defeat against Egypt.
Egypt has already secured a spot in the knockout stage with two wins, totaling six points. South Africa stands at three points, while both Angola and Zimbabwe each have one point.
Angola is set to face Egypt on Monday, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the next round, alongside the best third-placed teams.
Stadiums have struggled with attendance, exacerbated by poor weather conditions, as heavy rain has affected every day of the tournament, with the exception of Christmas Day when no matches were scheduled. As a predominantly Muslim nation, Morocco does not celebrate Christmas.
Originally planned for summer, the tournament was moved to winter to avoid conflicts with FIFA’s new Club World Cup in the United States.
Even sold-out matches featuring the Moroccan team have seen empty seats due to ticket scalpers, causing frustration for fans eager to attend games at the nearly 70,000-capacity Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
To boost attendance, security measures at various venues have allowed fans to enter for free after halftime, resulting in crowds gathering outside in hopes of being admitted.
“For the match between South Africa and Angola, the turnout was dismal,” Broos criticized the organization surrounding the encounter with Egypt. “There was chaos before the game, blocking access for ticket holders due to a large crowd of people without tickets being allowed in.”
While praising the quality of the newly constructed or renovated stadiums, Broos lamented the unusual “cool” atmosphere at the 2025 Africa Cup. “If they don’t allow people in freely, there won’t be any spectators,” he warned. “I doubt anyone will show up to watch the South Africa-Zimbabwe game.”
Morocco is also set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.