Hugo Broos gives verdict on Bafana World Cup campaign

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has given an assessment of his team's display at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada.

South Africa were sent packing by Canada in the Round of 32 on Sunday after falling to a solitary goal from Stephen Estaquiou, who beat Ronwen Williams in stoppage time.

Notably, it was Bafana's first-ever appearance in the knockout stage of the global showpiece after failing to achieve the feat in the 1998, 2002, and the 2010 editions.

Having defied the odds to seal a place in the knockout phase, the Belgian mentor believes their World Cup campaign was nothing short of impressive.

“I think it's a success. Nobody expected, they only hoped that we should be in the second round, and also this level is maybe two levels higher than the PSL, the local competition, and majority of the team are players of that competition,” said Broos.

"And I think you saw today [vs Canada] what we missed, and that's something that South Africa has to work on, and not me or the national team. This is the clubs and they don't have to be happy when Mamelodi Sundowns win the CAF Champions League.

"There is more than that, certainly on the international level. We saw it today, we saw it also in the previous games, but we have a good mentality. We could make good performances and good results.

"So, again, I'm still proud of my team. We did it well, we did it very well in this World Cup even though we are now out of the tournament, but I know why we are out and this is something we have to work on in the next months and years.

Whether the 74-year-old tactician will step down as Bafana boss remains to be seen, having previously hinted at retirement after the FIFA World Cup.

Hlayisani Magoro

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Football journalist from South Africa covering African football news, exclusive stories and key events while sharing insights with passionate fans of the game.

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