Broos Says South Africa Silenced Critics After Historic World Cup Knockout Berth -

South Africa coach Hugo Broos said his team answered their critics after reaching the World Cup knockout stage for the first time, following a 1-0 win over South Korea on Wednesday. The result secured second place in Group A behind co-hosts Mexico.

Bafana Bafana’s victory in Monterrey came through a second-half strike from Thapelo Maseko in what was effectively a shootout for the group’s second qualification spot. It marks South Africa’s first progression beyond the group stage in four World Cup appearances, and their first since hosting the tournament in 2010.

“We shut up the big mouths of the last weeks,” Broos said after the match. “I’m very proud of the performance of my team and I think we gave an answer to all those who thought that we had to change something. We just did what I wanted to do and this is the result.”

The 74-year-old described reaching the last 16 as an emotional milestone. He noted it could be one of the final games of his coaching career, which began in 2021.

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Broos said the bond with his players helped the team withstand heavy criticism after a 2-0 loss to Mexico in the opener. South Africa recovered with a draw against the Czech Republic before beating South Korea.

“Between me as a coach and them as players is maybe something unique. I’m not just a coach, I think I’m a friend of theirs,” he said.

South Africa will face Canada, one of the tournament co-hosts, in Los Angeles on Sunday with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.

“The players will be ready again and try to achieve the third round,” Broos said. “It should be even more historic. Those players want to prove to everyone that they are a good team.”