South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has attributed his team's FIFA World Cup exit to Canada's superior physical strength and pace, saying Bafana Bafana were unable to match those qualities during their Round of 32 defeat.
The 74-year-old Belgian made the remarks after South Africa suffered a 1-0 loss to tournament co-hosts Canada in Los Angeles on Sunday. He also hinted that he may rethink his earlier decision to retire from coaching.
Speaking after the match, Broos said Canada's physical advantage proved decisive.
"I have said many times that modern football is more than just technique. There is power and speed, and we do not have it in our team yet. Canada had those qualities," Broos said.
South Africa's World Cup journey came to an end after Stephen Eustaquio scored a dramatic winning goal in the 92nd minute, sending Canada through to the Round of 16.
Before the tournament, Broos had announced plans to retire after South Africa's World Cup campaign, bringing an end to a coaching career that has spanned more than 30 years.
At the time, he said he wanted to devote more time to his family.
"I want to spend more time with my wife, children and grandchildren."
However, following Sunday's defeat, the veteran coach indicated that he was not ready to make a final decision about his future while emotions were still high.
"It is not clever to make decisions when you are disappointed, so I will not do it here," Broos said during his post-match press conference.
Reports from within the South African Football Association suggest that Broos could still remain involved with the national team in one capacity or another.
According to a football association insider, the Belgian may continue as head coach or take up another role, such as scouting and monitoring South African players based in Europe.
Since taking charge of Bafana Bafana in 2021, Broos has received widespread praise for transforming the fortunes of the national team. Under his leadership, South Africa qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 16 years and reached the knockout stage of the competition for the first time in the country's history.
His tenure has also seen renewed support for the national team. Shortly after his appointment, fewer than 200 spectators attended a friendly match against Botswana, while a World Cup warm-up game against Panama in Cape Town attracted a capacity crowd of 50,000 fans.
Broos also guided South Africa to a historic Group A victory over South Korea during the tournament, helping the team progress beyond the group stage for the first time after three previous first-round exits.
With South Africa eliminated from the competition, Canada will now face either the Netherlands or Morocco in the Round of 16 in Houston.
Bafana Bafana will now shift their focus to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, where they have been drawn in Group D alongside Kenya, Guinea and Eritrea.
KUNLE ADEOLA
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