South Africa coach Hugo Broos rejects claims of regression after AFCON exit, turning attention to World Cup preparations in North America

South Africa’s head coach, Hugo Broos, has dismissed suggestions that Bafana Bafana regressed following their Africa Cup of Nations exit in the Round of 16 against Cameroon, instead turning his attention to the upcoming World Cup.

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The Belgian coach oversaw a 2-1 defeat to the Indomitable Lions on Sunday in Rabat, ending South Africa’s campaign in the first knockout stage, two years after the team finished third at the previous AFCON in Ivory Coast.

Broos acknowledged that performances in some matches did not meet expectations but insisted that the team had not moved backwards.

“We don’t go backwards — maybe in some games performances were not at the level of South Africa that everyone knows, but you can’t say that for today,” he said.

He added that luck had not favoured Bafana Bafana in their loss to Cameroon.

South Africa had advanced from their group in second place behind Egypt, with narrow victories over Angola and Zimbabwe, either side of a defeat to the Pharaohs.

Broos cited moments from past tournaments to highlight how luck had previously influenced outcomes.

Looking ahead, Broos confirmed plans for a detailed evaluation in preparation for the World Cup in North America, where South Africa will face co-hosts Mexico, South Korea, and a European play-off winner in the group stage.

Friendly matches in March will help fine-tune the squad ahead of the tournament.

Also read: Tunisia dismiss coach Sami Trabelsi after AFCON exit

“In the next days and weeks we will make an evaluation in detail on what was good and not good, and we will see what we have to change because the World Cup is in six months and we need to be ready for that,” Broos said.