“Still possible” for South Africa to reach World Cup knockouts after opening day disaster, says Broos | OneFootball

Hugo Broos insisted that it is “still possible” for South Africa to reach the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite seeing two players dismissed in their 2-0 loss to Mexico on the opening day of the tournament.

Julian Quiñones’ early thunderous strike put Mexico ahead at the Estadio Azteca after pouncing on Sphephelo Sithole’s heavy touch, and bad would only turn to worse for the South African midfielder when he was shown a straight red card early in the second half for hacking down Brian Gutierrez on the edge of the box.

Speaking in his post-match press conference in Mexico City, South Africa head coach Hugo Broos admitted that “I think you have to accept” the midfielder’s dismissal because “a player is going alone to the goal and Yaya fouled him, so that I can understand.”

Raúl Jiménez doubled the co-hosts’ lead shortly after the hour mark, with South Africa later reduced to nine men when Themba Zwane was dismissed for violent conduct against Roberto Alvarado. That marked the first time a team has been shown two red cards in a FIFA World Cup match since Portugal’s meeting with the Netherlands back in 2006.

Broos wasn’t quite as sure that Zwane should have seen red, arguing that “it’s the Mexican player who blocked my player.”

The red card was produced again in stoppage time when César Montes was judged to have denied a clear goalscoring opportunity just outside the penalty area.

Reflecting on his side’s performance in the tournament opener, Broos quipped: “I don’t think it’s a drop in the standards of my players.

“I also have to tell you that we played a good game. I saw a desperate Mexico that in some moments of the game, they didn’t know what to do with the ball. The organisation was perfect defensively. At the other side, offensively, I think we have to improve.

“There were some opportunities where the last pass or the runs of our players were not the right ones, so I think this is something to improve in the next days and then I’m sure we can play the same game – but being better offensively – and we’ll have a better result.”

South Africa will now be without both Sithole and Zwane for their group stage clash with Czechia on June 18, which is now essentially a must-win for the Bafana Bafana if they are to make it out of Group A. Broos insists that is still the target for his side, noting that “in a tournament, you never have to think too far [ahead] because anything can happen.

“For us, the goal stays like it was a week ago, and we’d like to survive the group stages. It’s still possible. The start was not good, was not what we expected, we didn’t want to lose today, but it is what it is. We have to try to get the points in the next two games and we’ll see,” the 74-year-old explained.

Broos, who played for Belgium in their slender loss to Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, expressed hope that “the guys will be ready again” by the weekend to prepare for next week’s meeting with Czechia.

“There are still seven days [until the game] and these guys are professionals. I think if you can’t recuperate in seven days for another game, that’s a bit ridiculous. I don’t think it’ll be a problem… I’m even sure that it won’t be a problem.

“I think we need the next two days to get over the disappointment of today and also the fatigue, but from Saturday or Sunday, the guys will be ready again to have a good training. Again, we have to work on our offensive game because it was not enough today.”

He added that “we have two players now who can’t play in the next game, but we still have other players and if we can show the same mentality and the same way we played today, I’m sure we will have good results in the next two games.”