AFCON 2025: Teko Modise addresses Bafana players in a motivational way before the start of Bafana's journey in Morocco! | OneFootball

Group B could be very difficult for Bafana Bafana.

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South African football icon Teko Modise has called upon the current national team to embrace the weight of expectation as they prepare for their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign.

His comments come just before Bafana Bafana's crucial Group B opener against Angola at the Grand Stade de Marrakech, scheduled for Monday evening at 19:00.

With the memory of South Africa's impressive third-place finish in the last tournament still fresh, Modise—a veteran of AFCON battles himself—spoke about the heightened demands now facing coach Hugo Broos's youthful squad. He knows the stage well, having featured in a 1-1 draw against Angola in the 2008 group stages, a match saved by a late Elrio van Heerden equalizer.

Speaking on the Carwash Podcast, Modise framed the pressure as a privilege and a test of character for the rising stars.

"The excitement is there for everyone, and so is the pressure," Modise stated. "But what kind of footballer are you if you don't want to put yourself in these types of situations? This is what you work for."

He connected their current moment to a lifetime of preparation, adding, "You have trained so hard for this. You started playing football as a child dreaming of these big stages. And this, AFCON, is among the biggest."

Acknowledging the team's evolution since their last outing, Modise pointed to the new challenge of sustained success. "The team has many promising young players. I'm eager to see what they can produce this time," he said. "Now that everyone knows them, and sees Bafana Bafana as one of the continent's strong teams, the question is: can they handle that pressure and those expectations? We are all looking forward to finding out."