Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos says he understands why his side’s historic 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign came to an end in the Round of 32, admitting the level of the tournament is “two levels higher than the PSL”.
Broos’ men suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to tournament co-hosts Canada at Los Angeles Stadium on Sunday, bringing their run at the global showpiece to an end.
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South Africa had reached the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup for the first time in the nation’s history after securing qualification with a memorable 1-0 victory over South Korea in their final group-stage match.
Despite the defeat, Broos described the campaign as a success, insisting that people didn’t expect Bafana Bafana to progress beyond the group stage.
The Belgian coach admitted that the knockout rounds presented a higher level of competition and said he now has a clear understanding of the areas his team must improve.
Broos added that South Africa must begin working on addressing those shortcomings ahead of future major competitions.
“I think our World Cup was a success, nobody expected, but only hoped that we can be in the second round,” said Broos.
“I knew also that this is the level that is two levels higher than the PSL or local competition which majority of our team play in.
“You saw [against Canada] what we missed, there’s something that South Africa has to work on, not the national team but the clubs.
“They don’t have to be happy when Sundowns win Champions League, there’s more than that. There’s more than that at international level.
“We saw it against Canada and in previous matches. But we have a good mentality, again I’m still proud of my team. We did well in this World Cup even though we’re out.
“I know why we’re out and this is something we have to work on in the next months and years.”