“This Is Our Answer!” — Furious Broos Laughs At ‘Big Mouth’ Critics
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos hit back at his critics after South Africa secured a historic 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 berth, branding the milestone the perfect response to those who had “big mouths.”
Following a gritty 1-0 victory over South Korea at Estadio Monterrey on Thursday, the Belgian tactician defended his squad ahead of Sunday’s high-stakes knockout clash against co-hosts Canada.
Bafana Bafana defeated South Korea to reach the Round of 32 for the first time in the nation’s history, a remarkable achievement that few predicted after their difficult start to the tournament.
Broos and his players faced intense criticism from many South African supporters, football analysts and even former professional players following their disappointing defeat to co-hosts Mexico in the opening match.
The Bafana coach came under particular scrutiny for his tactical approach after fielding five defenders and three central midfielders against the hosts.
Following that defeat, many critics claimed South Africa lacked the quality to progress beyond the group stage, with some suggesting the team would struggle to compete against the stronger nations at the tournament.
However, Broos never lost faith in his squad and was delighted to see them prove their doubters wrong by securing a place in the knockout rounds.
Speaking to Sporty TV after the historic victory, the veteran coach ranked the achievement among the greatest moments of his career.
“Yeah, this is one of the three or four best moments in my career. That is for sure,” he said.
Broos is no stranger to media wars; when he won AFCON 2017 with Cameroon, he famously slammed the local media in the press room for trying to pick his teams.
“When you win in Africa, it is fantastic. When you win a gold medal or a bronze medal, it is fantastic,” he continued.
“Today, we achieved a historic qualification for the second round for South Africa. It’s amazing, but again, I never stopped believing in this group. I know what this group can do.
“Now I’m laughing at all those people who had a big mouth over the last few weeks, who said the players were bad and that the coach — certainly the coach — was bad. This is our answer.”
The Bafana coach also reflected on the match itself and admitted that his side endured a tense finish as South Korea pushed hard for an equaliser.
“Yes, for sure. I was very, very nervous in the last 10 minutes. We played a little bit too deep, and then the ball can always fall kindly for Korea,” he added.
“And then it’s 1-1, and the game is over. But we defended very well, especially against the high balls. We won nearly every duel.
“And when we had the ball, we actually did something with it. That was a big, big difference compared to our first game against Mexico.”
Bafana Bafana will now turn their attention to the Round of 32, where they will face co-hosts Canada on Sunday as they look to continue their remarkable World Cup journey.
