Hugo Broos expressed pride in his Bafana Bafana side while insisting they deserved more than a 1-1 draw with Czechia in their 2026 FIFA World Cup tie.
The Belgian coach made key tactical adjustments at half-time after identifying a lack of aggression off the ball as the core problem in the first period.
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“I thought we were not aggressive enough when we lost the ball in the first half, and it allowed Czechia to play too easy, that’s what I said needed changed in the second half,” Broos said.
The introduction of Rele into a free role proved to be one of the key decisions, with Broos pleased with the impact it had.
“With Rele in the free space it could make us more dangerous, it helped, the half-time decisions made a difference, but the guys were determined and showed perseverance, they showed they wanted to win. I’m very proud of my team and this is the real Bafana Bafana.”
Despite the result, Broos was bullish about the overall performance, pointing to a single lapse in concentration as the only real blemish on the display.
“First of all, why shouldn’t I be relieved, I don’t see a reason. We played a very good game today, except one moment in the first half when we were not focused. We knew [Coufal] has a long throw-in and at this level, you pay cash for these mistakes. Other than that, I think we played very well.
“In the second half, we were in their half constantly and they just played long balls in front of 1.95 and tried flick-ons. I think we deserve more today, we played well but we need a bit of luck at times, it was not the case today.”
However, Broos remains confident Bafana Bafana can still make history at the tournament. “If we can go on like this and perform again like today, we have a chance to go into the second round.”
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