South Africa head coach, Hugo Broos, admitted his side were outmatched by Canada after their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign ended with a 1-0 defeat in the Round of 32 on Sunday.
The South Africans bowed out following a dramatic stoppage-time winner from Canada, with Broos acknowledging that the North Americans deserved their victory.
“I think we have to be honest that today, we lost the game because there was a lack of power and speed in our team,” he said at the post-match press conference.
“When I compare us with our opponent, we lost a lot of duels and the speed in our team … not only the running speed, but also the speed of execution … was not the same.
“When you see how quickly Canada play and also their build up, it took long sometimes before we took a decision.”
The Belgian tactician reiterated concerns he has previously raised about the standard of domestic football in South Africa, arguing that many players are not adequately prepared for the demands of elite international competition.
“These are things we have to work on, and this is also what I said already many times in South Africa, but nobody believes me,” he said.
“Modern football is more than technique. Modern football is power and speed. If you don’t have it in your team, and you play against a team who has it, and that was a big quality of Canada, then it’s difficult. And we had a difficult game, certainly.”
Despite the disappointment of elimination, Broos took pride in his team’s overall performance at the tournament, noting that South Africa had surpassed expectations by advancing beyond the group stage for the first time.
“When we look back, I think we can be very satisfied with what we did. It was 24 years ago that South Africa last qualified for the World Cup.
“Everyone hoped, but only some expected, that we should achieve (a place in) the second round.
“So, okay, we are disappointed, because we wanted to win, and it should be really a little miracle if we got through to the last 16, but we don’t have to be too disappointed. What we did was good, and I’m very happy. I’m very proud of my team,” he added.
