Hugo Broos: I Dream of South Africa Reaching the Second Round

Belgian coach Hugo Broos, the head coach of the South African national team, expressed his ambition to achieve a historic accomplishment with "Bafana Bafana" during their participation in the 2026 World Cup, ahead of their opening match against Mexico at the Azteca Stadium.

Bruce said at the pre-match press conference: "I dream of a beautiful ending where the South African team reaches the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time, after three previous participations where the team was eliminated in the first round."

The 74-year-old coach, who played with Belgium in the opening match of the 1986 World Cup against Mexico, added: "No one in Hollywood could write a better script. I played in the World Cup opener 40 years ago, and now I return as a coach in another opener. It's amazing."

Regarding facing Mexico in front of their large crowd, Bruce confirmed: "Mexico is the best team in the group. They have excellent players capable of deciding matches. They play good football and have a lot of movement and strong solidarity. Only our best level will suffice against them."

The coach addressed the expected atmosphere of the stadium, saying: "There will be 85,000 Mexicans screaming and singing. Our players must focus on the game plan and ignore the noise, as the crowd doesn't play... We have to focus on our performance."

Bruce pointed out the importance of winning the opening match, adding: "In a group like this, it is very important to win the first match. If you don't win, you're in a tough position."