South Africa coach Hugo Broos hailed his side’s outstanding achievement after Bafana Bafana defeated South Korea 1-0 to reach the FIFA 2026 World Cup knockout stage for the first time in their history.
The victory in Monterrey secured South Africa’s second place in Group A behind co-hosts Mexico, who finished with a perfect record of three wins from three matches.
Playing at the World Cup for the fourth time and their first appearance since hosting the tournament in 2010, South Africa were widely written off after opening their campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Mexico.
However, Bafana Bafana responded impressively, earning a draw against the Czech Republic before defeating South Korea in a winner-takes-all clash thanks to Thapelo Maseko’s second-half goal.
Broos Proud of Historic Achievement
Broos admitted it was difficult to find the words to describe the significance of the achievement.
“I’m very proud of the performance of my team, and I think we gave an answer to all those big mouths of the last few weeks who thought that we had to change something,” said the Belgian coach.
“We just did what we did. We just did what I wanted to do, and this is the result.”
The 74-year-old, who has been in charge since 2021, described qualification for the knockout rounds as one of the most emotional moments of his coaching career.
“I said it already in the past that it will probably be one of the last games of my career, and when you can end a career as I had in this way, I think everybody or every coach dreams of it.”
Special Bond With Players
Broos also highlighted the strong relationship he has built with his squad, insisting he never lost faith in them despite criticism following their opening defeat.
“Between me as a coach and them as players is, yes, maybe something unique — I’m the coach, but I’m not a coach,” he said.
“I think I’m a friend of theirs. So the relationship between the players and me, this is very good.”
More History in Sight
South Africa will now face Canada in Los Angeles on Sunday, with a place in the Round of 16 at stake.
“I just know that the players will be ready again and try to achieve the third round,” Broos said.
“It should be even more historic. But those players are chasing those things. Those players want to prove to everyone and to show that they are a good team. So we will see next Sunday if we can go further.”
Since the end of apartheid, South Africa have appeared at the FIFA World Cup in 1998, 2002, 2010 and 2026. Until this year’s tournament, Bafana Bafana had never progressed beyond the group stage.
Their victory over South Korea has now secured a place in South African football history and given the nation hope of an even deeper run at the 2026 World Cup.
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