South Africa’s national football coach, Hugo Broos, has publicly expressed concerns regarding the atmosphere and spectator engagement at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Morocco. Broos, who previously led Cameroon to an AFCON title in 2017 and South Africa to a third-place finish in the last edition, compared the current tournament unfavorably to his past experiences in Ivory Coast and Gabon, citing a lack of visible fan enthusiasm and engagement.
Broos’ observations were made in Marrakech prior to South Africa’s final group match against Zimbabwe. He noted the absence of public displays of support, such as flag-waving and crowds along team routes, which he considered typical of previous AFCON tournaments. Broos stated that the current event lacks the distinctive atmosphere he associates with the competition.
From a competitive standpoint, South Africa’s team, Bafana Bafana, is currently second in Group B with three points, following a 2-1 win over Angola and a 1-0 loss to Egypt. Egypt has already secured advancement to the knockout stage with two wins. Angola and Zimbabwe each have one point. The final group matches will determine which teams progress, with the top two and the best third-placed teams advancing.
Attendance data and visual evidence indicate that the tournament has struggled to attract large crowds. Organizers have reported difficulties filling stadiums, a situation attributed to persistent heavy rainfall and the rescheduling of the tournament from summer to winter to avoid a clash with FIFA’s Club World Cup. These factors are cited as contributing to a subdued event atmosphere.
Even matches involving the host nation, Morocco, have not achieved full attendance despite official sell-outs at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, which has a capacity of nearly 70,000. Reports suggest that ticket scalping has limited access for genuine fans, resulting in empty seats. In response, security personnel at some venues have permitted free entry after kickoff to increase attendance, leading to crowds of ticketless individuals waiting outside stadiums.
Broos has also criticized organizational aspects, referencing low attendance at the South Africa-Angola match and logistical issues that prevented ticket holders from entering the stadium for the South Africa-Egypt match. He described situations where non-ticket holders were allowed entry, causing congestion and further complicating access for legitimate spectators.
Despite these challenges, Broos acknowledged the quality of the tournament’s infrastructure, noting that all nine stadiums are either new or recently renovated. However, he maintained that the overall event atmosphere remains below expectations for a tournament of this scale, particularly if stadium access is restricted and attendance remains low.
The current situation has prompted questions regarding Morocco’s preparedness to co-host the 2030 World Cup, which will require not only adequate infrastructure but also effective event management and the ability to generate significant spectator engagement. In the immediate term, South Africa’s focus remains on advancing from the group stage, while stakeholders monitor whether the tournament atmosphere improves in later rounds.
