South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has fired back at his critics after guiding the Bafana Bafana to the FIFA World Cup knockout stage for the first time in the country’s history.
South Africa secured a historic 1-0 victory over South Korea on Wednesday to finish second in Group A and book a place in the next round of the tournament.
The African side had been heavily criticised after opening their campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Mexico, but recovered with a draw against the Czech Republic before defeating South Korea thanks to Thapelo Maseko’s second-half winner.
“I’m very proud of my team. We gave an answer to all those big mouths that thought we had to change something,” Broos said.
The Belgian coach said he never lost faith in his players despite the criticism that followed their opening defeat.
Broos also described the achievement as one of the most emotional moments of his coaching career, hinting that the tournament could be among his last.
“When you can end a career like this, every coach dreams of it,” he added.
The 74-year-old praised the strong bond he shares with his players, saying their relationship goes beyond football and has been key to the team’s success.
South Africa will now face tournament co-hosts Canada on Sunday, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.
Broos expressed confidence that his players would be ready to make even more history by advancing to the next stage.
Source: AFP
