South Africa’s run to the Africa Cup of Nations semifinals may have been inspired by the team’s majority home-based contingent, but head coach Hugo Broos still believes players need to play overseas if Bafana Bafana are to realise their potential.

No country at the tournament have boasted more domestic-based players than South Africa, for whom over 88% — 23 out of 26 — of their tournament squad feature in the PSL.

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With a side built on a backbone from serial domestic champions Mamelodi Sundowns, who provided nine of the starters for their semifinal defeat to Nigeria, Bafana far exceeded expectations in the Ivory Coast.

However, Broos is adamant that unless more of South Africa’s finest players test themselves against more elite opposition on a regular basis, the country will remain a rung below Africa’s top teams.

“Countries like Senegal, Cameroon have very good national teams because those players are playing in Europe,” Broos said on Friday.

“They are playing at a very high level in big teams, while we in South Africa are playing with mostly local players.

“Everyone can now see, the players can feel, that there’s another level and countries who have players in Europe find it much easier as they’re playing every week at this level.

“You can’t compare the level of the African Champions League to the Champions League in Europe, so there’s a lot of work to do.

“We’ve shown we have good players, so much so that now even European clubs are interested. It means we did very well, and it showed that these players can now go and play at a higher level than the championship in South Africa.”

Bafana Bafana’s reliance on players featuring in the country’s domestic top flight has previously led to accusations that the national side is too insular, as the the side subsequently struggled to cope when up against teams and players accustomed to a more diverse and higher level of competition.

Broos is confident that his team’s performance at the Nations Cup can be a turning point.

“It took time to convince the players that they have the qualities to [deliver] big performances in tournaments like this and get results,” Broos said.

“We beat Morocco, and have played a great game in Ivory Coast, so the confidence has grown.

“The players were extremely motivated to show something, and they now know the interest there is in them [from European clubs] and the level they need to reach to show their skills.

“If they are able to play every week like this, playing against good teams at a high level, they will become better as well.

“The level of African club football has to improve for many countries across Africa, but when they can achieve this, and when games between African teams are more intense, this will be reflected in African national teams.

“Then one day they will be able to become world champions.”

Speaking later on Friday, CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe, whose family own Sundowns, expressed his delight at how South Africa’s PSL is leading the way for domestic top flights across the continent.

“A lot of work has been done in football development across the continent, but particularly in South Africa,” Dr. Motsepe said.

“We’re proud of the progress, and of our world-class league.

“Some other leagues in Africa are also doing a good job, and are also world class. South Africa is also learning from what happens across the continent.”

South Africa meet the Democratic Republic of Congo in Saturday’s third-placed playoff at the Stade Felix Houphouet Boigny in Abidjan, while hosts Cote d’Ivoire face Nigeria in the final at the Stade Alassane Ouattara-Ebimpe 24 hours later.