‘This is my last World Cup’ – Hugo Broos

Stephen Eustaquio scored deep into second-half stoppage time in Los Angeles to send Canada through to the next round, ending South Africa’s historic campaign in cruel fashion. Despite the disappointment, Broos praised his players for exceeding expectations and making the nation proud.

The 74-year-old Belgian also hinted that his time at the World Cup has come to an end, although he stopped short of confirming whether he would step down as Bafana Bafana coach.

“It’s not clever to take decisions when you are disappointed,” Broos said to the media after the match.

“I will see in the next days what I will do for the future. For sure, this is my last World Cup.”

Broos had already described South Africa’s tournament as a success before the clash with Canada, pointing to the remarkable progress made by his youthful squad.

Since taking charge in 2021, he has rebuilt Bafana Bafana into a disciplined and competitive side, guiding them back to the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 2010. The team also made history by reaching the knockout stages for the first time.

South Africa recovered impressively after opening their campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Mexico, a match in which they finished with nine men following two red cards.

They bounced back with a 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic before securing a 1-0 victory over South Korea to book their place in the last 32.

Against Canada, Bafana Bafana withstood relentless pressure for much of the contest, with goalkeeper Ronwen Williams producing a series of outstanding saves to keep the scores level. However, their resistance was finally broken in stoppage time when Eustaquio found the winner.

Although South Africa’s World Cup dream ended in heartbreak, Broos leaves the tournament with his reputation further enhanced after leading Bafana Bafana through one of the finest World C