Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos feels he's achieved more with South Africa than when he won the Africa Cup of Nations with Cameroon. He says he had the time to build a squad over five years here.

Broos, from Belgium, won the Cup of Nations with Cameroon in 2017 but was soon out of a job.

Now, with two Cup of Nations qualifications (including a bronze medal last time) and a trip to the 2026 World Cup coming up, Broos thinks his time with Bafana has been more worthwhile.

“To be honest, I think what we've done with South Africa is better than what I did with Cameroon,” Broos said.

“We built a team here, and they got better every day. When you go to AFCON, you always have goals, but you don't really expect to get to the final.

“For most of the guys, it was their first AFCON (in 2024), so you don't expect that. But we improved a lot. Cameroon, on the other hand, was a team that was used to playing at AFCON.

“They were seen as favourites to win, so it was different, and the pressure was way higher. Looking at what we have done here with South Africa—finishing third at the last AFCON, qualifying for AFCON twice in a row, and qualifying for the World Cup—I didn't do that with Cameroon.”

Broos said that even though he won a trophy with Cameroon, he looks at the bigger picture.

“We won AFCON with Cameroon, but four months later, we were out of World Cup qualification, and Nigeria went through. So, I’m happier with the work I’ve done here in South Africa than with what I did with Cameroon,” Broos said.

“With Cameroon, winning at AFCON is expected. But I don’t think anyone here, or even myself, thought two years ago that we (Bafana Bafana) would reach the semi-finals.

“So yes, it was a great run, and it’s not over. We’ll see what happens in a few weeks, and then I’ll try to finish my career strong (at the World Cup).”

South Africa starts its 2025 AFCON campaign with a Group B game against Angola in Marrakech on Monday.

Even though Marcelo Vieira isn't playing pro ball anymore, he's still all about football. He's making content and helping out with Gerard Piqué’s Kings League. The guy's opinions still get attention, mainly when he talks about Barça and Real Madrid.

DjMaRiiO asked Marcelo on his YouTube channel a question you hear all the time: if you could pick one Barcelona player for Real Madrid, who would it be?

Marcelo said, I'd go with Pedri for Madrid now. He has qualities that would fit Real Madrid well. He knows everyone would say Lamine, but he thinks Pedri would be a better choice.

This happened as Pedri gets ready to get back in shape after being hurt again. Even with the injuries, the guy from the Canary Islands is still a top player for Barcelona. People all over Spain respect him for how well he controls the game, how smart he is in tight spots, and how he can change a game without being the centre of attention.

Marcelo's comments got fans talking, especially since a lot of people see Lamine Yamal as Barcelona’s rising star and one of the most exciting young attackers in Europe. But Marcelo said he picked Pedri because of his balance and how well he controls the midfield, which a lot of people think would be a good fit for Real Madrid.

Besides the whole Barça-Madrid thing, the interview also showed what Marcelo's been up to since he stopped playing. Lately, he’s been around the Kings League as the president of Skull FC with Plex. Unlike some of the other big-name presidents, Marcelo actually went back to playing.

The league said that Marcelo played his first Kings League game in late October for Skull FC against Rayo de Barcelona. Apparently, the team was having a hard time with the league's format, so Marcelo decided to step in to lead and play well.