South Africa head coach, Hugo Broos, has dismissed claims that his team has declined following their exit from the Africa Cup of Nations, saying the focus has now shifted firmly to preparations for the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
Bafana Bafana were knocked out of the tournament after a 2–1 defeat to Cameroon in their round-of-16 clash in Rabat on Sunday, bringing an end to their AFCON campaign at the first knockout stage—two years after finishing third at the previous edition in Ivory Coast.
Broos maintained that the result did not reflect a backward step for his side, arguing that luck played a major role in the outcome against the Indomitable Lions.
“We are not going backwards. Perhaps in some matches our performances were not at the level people expect from South Africa, but you cannot say that about today’s game,” the experienced Belgian coach said.
South Africa advanced from their group as runners-up behind Egypt, recording narrow victories over Angola and Zimbabwe, while suffering a defeat to the Pharaohs.
Broos pointed to the role of fortune in tournament football, recalling that goalkeeper Ronwen Williams’ crucial save against Cape Verde in the quarter-finals two years ago helped keep their AFCON run alive.
“Sometimes you need luck. Two years ago, that save made the difference. This time, the luck wasn’t on our side,” he added.
He stressed the importance of reviewing the team’s AFCON performance as attention turns to the World Cup. “We must properly evaluate what happened at this tournament and learn from it as we prepare for the World Cup,” Broos said.
South Africa have qualified for the World Cup for the first time since hosting the competition in 2010, finishing top of their qualifying group ahead of Nigeria.
They will begin their World Cup campaign against co-hosts Mexico on June 11, before facing South Korea and a European play-off winner in the group stage. Preparations will continue with a series of friendly matches scheduled for March.
“In the coming days and weeks, we will carry out a detailed assessment of what worked and what didn’t,” Broos said. “The World Cup is six months away, so we must make sure we are ready. By March, we want to be fully prepared for those friendlies and, ultimately, for the World Cup.”
— AFP
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