Broos reveals what Bafana must improve after World Cup exit

South Africa head coach Hugo Broos says his players deserve immense credit for their impressive performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite suffering a painful elimination in the Round of 32.

Bafana Bafana's historic campaign came to an end after a dramatic 1-0 defeat to co-hosts Canada, who scored deep into stoppage time at Los Angeles Stadium on Sunday to seal their place in the next round.

Although the result left South Africa heartbroken, Broos believes his side has every reason to celebrate reaching the knockout stages for the first time in the country's history.

"It was a difficult game, but I knew beforehand it would be because I had analysed the opponent. They have two important traits: power and speed. We hoped we had an answer for that, but that wasn't always the case," Broos said after the match.

The Belgian tactician admitted his players struggled to match Canada's physical intensity in several key moments during the contest.

According to Broos, improving athleticism and physical strength will be crucial if South Africa hopes to compete consistently with the world's top nations.

"You saw situations in the game where we could not follow, and we lost the one-on-one duels most of the time. We have to work on power and speed in South Africa," he explained.

Despite the disappointment of conceding a late winner, Broos insisted the tournament should be remembered as a success.

Few observers expected South Africa to reach the knockout rounds before the competition began, making their achievement even more significant.

"I don't have complaints about the mentality, but I think we can look back on this tournament with happiness because we got to the second round. I don't think anybody expected that before the tournament," he said.

The 2026 tournament marked South Africa's first appearance at the FIFA World Cup since hosting the competition in 2010.

Broos admitted emotions were understandably low in the dressing room after the dramatic defeat, but urged his players to appreciate what they had achieved.

"It is sore now because we wanted to win today. It's a disappointment; it's very quiet in the dressing room at the moment. But on the other side, we have to be honest, we did very well for our first time at the World Cup in 16 years. We achieved the second round," he said.