Hugo Broos talks about Bafana Bafana's situation and their qualification for the World Cup! | OneFootball

The Belgian coach explains the situation his team is going through.

Hugo Broos talks about Bafana Bafana's situation and their qualification for the World Cup!

The path to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, already steep for South Africa, has grown dramatically more treacherous. Under the lights of the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday, Bafana Bafana's hopes were dealt a severe blow as they were held to a frustrating goalless draw by a fiercely determined Zimbabwe.

This stalemate, combined with Benin's 1-0 victory over Rwanda, saw the Cheetahs leap two points clear at the Group C summit. For a South African side already reeling from a three-point deduction by FIFA, the dream of qualifying for the tournament in the USA, Canada, and Mexico now hangs by the thinnest of threads. Their fate is no longer their own; they must now not only defeat Rwanda at the Mbombela Stadium but also desperately hope that Nigeria can overcome Benin.

A somber Coach Hugo Broos faced the media in the aftermath, his disappointment palpable. “I think you understand that tonight [Friday] is a very sad night for us. We knew that the match will be tough, difficult,” he began, reflecting on a game where chances were created but fortune remained elusive. “We had chances to score. We had luck not with us today, certainly the second half with the ball on the line and another one on the post. We should have scored there and we should have won the game.”

He acknowledged the intense motivation of their opponents, noting, “We played against a very motivated team fighting for every meter, every ball. A little bit strange but okay. That shows again the relationship between those two teams is tense when they play against each other.”

With the calculus of qualification now fundamentally changed, Broos laid bare the new reality. “We don’t have it in our hands anymore,” he admitted. The strategy now is one of grim determination and hope. “We have to try again to be ready for the game on Tuesday, try to win it and then see what happens. It’s still possible but it has become more difficult.”

Ending on a note of fragile faith, the coach conceded that their campaign now depends on something beyond their control. “We still have to try and believe that maybe with a little miracle on Tuesday we still can qualify.”