Coach Broos Laughs and Snaps Ahead of Canada Clash at World Cup

South Africa coach Hugo Broos alternated between smiles and sharp words as he prepared for the biggest match in his 38-year coaching career. At 74, he has led Bafana Bafana into the World Cup knockout stage for the first time, where they will face Canada on Sunday in Los Angeles in a Round of 16 tie.

The former Belgian coach’s joy stems from achieving what many predecessors—including the renowned Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira—could not. A 1-0 win over South Korea, courtesy of winger Thapelo Maseko, secured second place in Group A and a spot in the knockout rounds.

It marked a happy ending to a group stage that began disastrously two weeks ago, when Bafana turned in a poor display in a 2-0 loss to hosts Mexico. A slight improvement in a 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic, sealed by a late Teboho Mokoena penalty, left many South Africans pessimistic before facing South Korea.

Yet the team rose to the occasion, showing a fighting spirit that had been missing in earlier games, and with better finishing could have won more convincingly in Mexico. Broos told AFP that the side he has led since 2021 “believed in themselves.” “It was an emotional moment—reaching the knockout stage for the first time,” he said. “We are ready for the Canadians. My team will fight for 90 minutes, and longer if needed. Let’s hope for another good result.”

If South Africa eliminate Canada, who sit 22 places above them in the world rankings, they would face either the Netherlands or Morocco in the Round of 16. But amid the joy of advancing past the group stage for the first time since the 1998, 2002, and 2010 World Cups, Broos is furious at the criticism that followed the defeat to Mexico. “There was a lot of criticism from coaches, former players, and some fans. They must understand that I do things my way. I don’t read the rubbish on social media. I never listen to people who think they matter. It’s better they stay quiet.”

After the 2010 World Cup, South Africa endured a decade of underachievement, failing to advance in the Africa Cup of Nations and missing three consecutive World Cups. When Broos took over in 2021, Bafana drew fewer than 200 spectators. Before heading to the 2026 World Cup, they attracted 50,000 fans for a friendly. After finishing third at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations and winning a 2026 World Cup qualifying group that included Nigeria, Bafana slumped. They were eliminated in the Round of 16 of the 2025 AFCON and, before beating South Korea, had gone seven matches without a win.

Broos partly blames their early exit from AFCON in Morocco on pre-tournament accusations of racism and sexism. Angry that centre-back Mbekezeli Mbokazi arrived late for a training session, Broos said the player “would come into my hotel room as a black man and leave as a white man.” A South African Football Association official defended Broos, telling AFP that “it was an unfortunate choice of words in a moment of fury in a country with a complex racial history.” Broos, who was a member of the Belgian team that reached the World Cup semifinals in 1986 in Mexico, was also unhappy that Mbokazi chose to leave Soweto club Orlando Pirates for Chicago Fire instead of moving to Europe. He called the defender’s mixed-race agent “a nice little woman who thinks she knows about football.” Both the racism and sexism allegations threatened by a lawmaker did not materialise.