Brain v brawn? Tactical Bafana and technical Morocco 'the best two teams in Africa'

South Sudan head coach Nicholas Dupuis has hailed Bafana Bafana as one of continent's top teams after his side was defeated 3-0 in their final 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier in Cape Town on Tuesday.

The South African national team dominated the match with goals from Iqraam Rayners, Patrick Maswanganyi and Teboho Mokoena helping to secure top spot in Group K.

Dupuis, speaking after the game, acknowledged the difficulty his team faced against Hugo Broos' troops at a sold-out Cape Town Stadium.

"It was very, very difficult. The team from South Africa is one of the best three in Africa, so it was normal," Dupuis said.

"I am very proud of my 14 players, local players from Juba, because we won last week against Congo Brazzaville, but it was too difficult today. They fought a lot; they fought the whole 96 minutes.

He added: "Today was just too difficult."

This match added to Bafana's impressive record at home under coach Broos, with South Africa still unbeaten on home soil since Belgian took charge in May 2021.

Bafana have now played 18 matches in South Africa under Broos, winning 14 and drawing 4.

Dupuis, who hails from France, singled out Bafana's tactical awareness under Broos as their major strength before adding that Senegal is another nation that could be ranked alongside Bafana and the Atlas Lions.

These skills encompass tactical insight, which includes anticipation, reading the flow of the match, and executing intelligent, on-the-fly decisions.

A key aspect of tactical skills is the player's mentality, something Broos noted has improved under his guidance.

Technical skills, on the other hand, involve ball control, dribbling, passing, shooting and defensive positioning.

They focus on executing movements with