South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has taken a swipe at critics following his team’s historic qualification for the World Cup knockout stage, saying the Bafana Bafana have “shut up the big mouths” with their performances.
The South Africans booked their place in the last 16 for the first time ever after a narrow 1-0 victory over South Korea on Wednesday, a result that secured second place in Group A behind co-hosts Mexico.
South Africa, appearing at the tournament for the first time since hosting in 2010, had been heavily doubted after losing 2-0 to Mexico in their opening fixture. However, they responded strongly with a draw against the Czech Republic before edging South Korea in a decisive group clash in Monterrey, courtesy of Thapelo Maseko’s second-half winner.
Broos, speaking after the match, said the team had answered their critics in the best possible way.
“I’m very proud of the performance of my team and I think we gave an answer to all those big mouths in recent weeks who thought we had to change something,” he said.
“We just did what we planned to do, and this is the result.”
The 74-year-old Belgian, who has managed the team since 2021, described the achievement as one of the most emotional moments of his career, hinting that it could be among his final major tournaments in coaching.
He also praised the bond within the squad, describing his relationship with the players as one built on trust and mutual understanding.
South Africa will now face Canada, one of the tournament co-hosts, in Los Angeles on Sunday, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.
“We will be ready again and try to achieve the next round,” Broos said.
“If we succeed, it will be even more historic. The players want to prove themselves again, and we will see what happens next.”