Congo Republic, the 1972 Afcon winners who seek to hurt Hugo Broos and Bafana Bafana

Bafana Bafana brace for their next test as they square off against the Republic of the Congo, with the heat of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations qualification intensifying.

The South Africans have had an entertaining ride so far in the qualifiers. They are second in Group K with four points, tied with leaders Uganda after two matches. Congo follows closely in third with three points, while South Sudan rounds out the group in fourth.

With the top two from each of the 11 groups (A-L) securing a spot in the tournament, which will take place in Morocco from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026, Bafana Bafana and head coach Hugo Broos are well aware that their home-and-away clash with Congo could be pivotal in determining their Afcon destiny.

A last-minute 2-2 draw at home against Uganda, ranked 90th in the world, and a narrow 3-2 win away to South Sudan, ranked 172nd, serve as clear reminders that 117th-ranked Congo could pose a real threat to 59th-placed Bafana Bafana.

Bafana will have to cope without their saviour, Thalente Mbatha, who struck at the death in both of their previous Afcon qualifying matches, as he recovers from an injury on the sidelines.

Now Broos will need a new trick against a nation yearning for an Afcon ticket.

Bafana's opponents

Not to be confused with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo - also known as Congo, Congo-Brazzaville, or Congo Republic - has a football history that has won the Africa Cup of Nations but is yet to grace the stage of the FIFA World Cup.

With a population of just under six million and bordered by Gabon, the DRC, Cameroon, and the Atlantic Ocean, Congo - formerly known as the People's Republic of the Congo from 1970 to 1990 - enjoyed a brief period of glory.

In