Broos blames South Africa’s exit from the 2026 World Cup on a lack of

South Africa coach Hugo Broos expressed his disappointment after their 1-0 round of 32 loss to Canada at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

With both teams making their first appearance in the knockout phase, the game looked to be headed for extra time before Eustaquio broke the hearts of the South Africans with a well-aimed shot from outside the area.

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In his post-match reaction, Broos admitted that Bafana Bafana lacked the power, speed and 1v1 quality of modern football, but praised the historic campaign.

Despite the heartbreaking loss in extra time, Broos reflected highly on the tournament and said fans could take satisfaction in South Africa reaching the knockout rounds of the World Cup for the first time in 24 years.

“First of all, it is smart to make decisions when you are disappointed. On the other hand, I think we lost the match because there was a lack of power and speed in our team.

“We lost a lot of duels, man against man, and the speed of our team, not only the running speed but also the execution speed.

“Football is more than technique; sometimes it requires power and speed. And when you don’t have them on your team and you play against a team that does, then it’s a problem. That was the great quality of the team.

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“We had a difficult match, but on the other hand, when you look at it, we can be satisfied with what we did because 24 years ago South Africa was able to qualify for the World Cup.”

Canada, playing in Los Angeles despite being a co-host, after failing to win its group, will now face either the Netherlands or Morocco in Houston in the round of 16 on July 4, when South Africa’s World Cup adventure comes to an end.