Bafana shut up big-mouth critics despite last 32 exit

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Bafana Bafana’s history-making players deserve a hero’s welcome when they arrive home after their World Cup exploits, despite their fairytale journey ending with a 1-0 loss against Canada on Sunday.

Skipper Ronwen Williams and his squad brought pride to the nation by reaching the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time.

Story audio is generated using AI The clock had already ticked over 90 minutes and this 2026 Fifa World Cup last 32 clash at Los Angeles Stadium appeared to be heading to extra time. Canada put South Africa under pressure and Ime Okon’s desperate defensive header fell into the path of well-positioned Stephen Eustaquio to beat Ronwen Williams in the 92nd minute and settle the clash 1-0, sending Bafana Bafana home. With that, South Africa’s chances of progressing to the last 16 went up in smoke, but they did not embarrass themselves as they were in this match until the dying minutes. By that stage, the game was even with neither of the two teams looking like scoring, but persistent pressure from the Canadians forced South Africa onto the back foot and into a mistake. It was a cruel blow for Bafana Bafana. They had fought gallantly in this tournament after they recovered from a poor performance against Mexico in the opening match to draw with Czechia and beat a classy South Korea to progress past a World Cup group stage for the first time despite being the lowest-ranked side in Group A. Bafana coach Hugo Broos made one change to the team that beat South Korea, with Teboho Mokoena coming back from suspension to replace Thalente Mbatha in the starting line-up. Canadian counterpart Jesse Marsch left captain Alphonso Davies, recently back from injury, on the bench, the Bayern Munich left-back getting his first taste of the action in the second half. Surprisingly, Mokoena was erratic and he made too many misplaced passes and some of those errors put the Bafana defence under unnecessary pressure from the Canadians. South Africa created the first notable chance in the sixth minute when an attack into the Canada box resulted in Mokoena testing goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau. Canada reacted moments later with an attack of their own that was thwarted by good defensive work by Thapelo Maseko, who tracked back to deny Richie Laryea. Canada missed a golden opportunity in the 22nd minute when unmarked Derek Cornelius failed to connect with a free-kick inside the box. As the match continued, Canada gained momentum with a double chance that started with Aubrey Modiba clearing the ball on the line and Ronwen Williams producing a close-range save. At the beginning of the second half, Broos solidified his midfield with the introduction of Mbatha for exciting young attacker Relebohile Mofokeng. The move was meant to add more steel in the midfield with Mbatha joining Mokoena and Sphephelo Sithole as they looked to counter the threats of Nathan Saliba and Eustaquio. South Africa played with confidence but they did not create enough chances — by the 60th minute they had only three shots at goal compared to eight by Canada. South Africa were forced to retreat just after the hour mark with Ime Okon put under pressure by the Canada counterattack, but he was saved by Mbokazi who covered him and cleared the ball under pressure from Jonathan David. There was a loud cheer inside the stadium when Alphonso Davies finally made his first appearance of the tournament after 74 minutes to replace Tajon Buchanan. With five minutes of regulation time remaining, Broos made a double change that saw Tshepang Moremi and Iqraam Rayners coming on from Maseko and Makgopa. All the World Cup fixtures here World Cup page here All the group profiles here Star player profiles here Bafana news here TimesLIVE

Williams’s class of 2026 wrote their names into SA football folklore and will perhaps in years to come even be mentioned in the same breath as Neil Tovey’s 1996 Bafana warriors who won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil.

Prior to the exploits of the latest generation of Bafana stars, the World Cup had never been a happy hunting ground for SA.

SA failed to get out of the group stages in France in 1998, South Korea and Japan in 2002 and on home soil in 2010.

Bafana’s victory over South Korea to gain access to the last 32 came via a Thapelo Maseko strike in the 63rd minute.

Yes, it was heartbreaking that they could not beat Canada, but most were not expecting the team to even make it out of the group.

Story audio is generated using AI Is he staying or going? The debate about the future of Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has taken centre stage after the national team’s elimination from the 2026 Fifa World Cup by Canada in the last-32 stage on Sunday. Broos, 74, had already announced his plans to retire from coaching at the end of the tournament, but over the past few weeks he increasingly sounded as if he might have changed his mind. There is a short turnaround between this World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers, and there are those who argue the Belgian must carry on for the sake of continuity. The qualifiers for the next year’s Afcon in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, scheduled to take place from June 19 to July 17, start in September. After Sunday’s last-gasp 1-0 defeat to Canada at Los Angeles Stadium via Stephen Eustaquio’s 92nd-minute goal, Broos was again asked if this was his final act for South Africa but said he can’t take a decision with emotions running high. “It is not clever to take decisions when you are disappointed; I will not do it,” he said. “I will see in the coming days what I am going to do in the future. It is my last Word Cup, that’s for sure, but what will happen in the next days and weeks will depend on how South Africa sees the future with me. “For the moment, I will not answer the question.” At some stage, Broos is going to vacate the Bafana hot seat, and he said he is going to leave his successor with a good squad to build on. “When there is a new coach, he has to do what he has to do; he doesn’t need to listen to me. I don’t have to give him advice on what to do because he will know what to do. “The only thing I know is that he will be inheriting a good team, and it will be up to him to work with it and try to make it better and to progress. That’s all I have to say; it’s not up to me to give advice. “He will be the coach of Bafana, and he will be good enough to know what he has to do. I am always open if people need advice; there is no problem.” Bafana made history at the 2026 World Cup by reaching the knockout stages for the first time. Broos said this achievement ranks up there with winning Afcon with Cameroon in 2017 for him. “I can rate it [making it out of the World Cup group stages] with winning the Africa Cup of Nations with Cameroon. It is an unbelievable performance, what this team has done during this World Cup. “I was a little angry when we were criticised after the game against Mexico. People thought we could come here and win against Mexico in the opening game of the World Cup. “I know my team and the fact that we still have a lot of work to do to achieve more at this level. But what we did here during the past three to four weeks, I can rate it on the same level as winning Afcon with Cameroon.” Broos said Bafana could not match aggressive Canada’s power and speed. Modern football is about power and speed. When you don’t have it on your team and play against a team like Canada, who have it, then it becomes difficult. We had a difficult game, but ont the other side, we can be satisfied “We have to be honest that we lost the game because there was a lack of power and speed in our team compared to our opponents. I have said it many times before, but nobody believes me: modern football is about more than technique. “Modern football is about power and speed. When you don’t have it on your team and play against a team like Canada, who have it, then it becomes difficult. We had a difficult game, but on the other side, we can be satisfied. “It was 24 years ago that South Africa last qualified for the World Cup, and we did it. Everyone hoped we would achieve the next round, and we did it. “Unfortunately, we lost, and we are disappointed because we wanted to win this match and progress further. “It was going to be a little bit of a miracle if we were in the third round, but we don’t have to be too disappointed. It was good, and I am happy and proud of what we have achieved.”

It was a remarkable turnaround by SA, who started the tournament with a 2-0 defeat to Mexico in Mexico City but gained confidence with a 1-1 draw against Czechia in Atlanta.

After a below-par display against Mexico, critics wrote off SA’s chances, and there was speculation Bafana would return home without finding the net in any of their three group matches.

How misguided the naysayers proved to be.

As The Herald’s football correspondent in Mexico noted, SA had gone from zeroes to heroes with their timely win over the Koreans.

The lead-up to the World Cup was not quite what coach Hugo Broos would have wanted for his ambitious team.

In their final warm-up outing on home soil, SA were held to a 0-0 draw by a defence-minded Nicaraguan side.

Then there was the embarrassing visa bungle, which delayed Bafana’s departure to the World Cup.

Refresh for latest updates. Read from bottom up ... FULL TIME - Bafana Bafana 0 Canada 1 Bafana Bafana brave in their defending. Mbokazi is a huge talent. In the end, Canada too physical, too intense, ultimately they also have players at really strong Europan clubs. Cold Bafana have one more in attack in this game? It’s so hard to say. They were squeezed and kicked out by a classy co-host nation outfit whenever they tried to. The huge positives to look at now - a first-ever and quite unexpected World Cup group stage progression by a young talented team. Whoever replaces retiring Hugo Broos has a lot to work with. Good night, South Africa! Enjoy the rest of your World Cup! 90min + 7 - Goal kick for Canada. That’s the final whistle. Bafana Bafana are out of the World Cup! 90min+5 - Another minute to come. If Bafana were playing for extra time it was a dangerous game to play. Looked headed that way. Then Eustaquio struck! 90min+2 - GOOOOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!! GOALLLL!!! GOALLL!!! Bafana 0 Canada 1! Canada take the lead!!! 7. Stephen Eustaquio in the area, volleys past Williams. That was coming! 90min - 5min added! 86min - SUB: Tshepang Moremi (only now? - interesting if it goes to extra time though!) and Iqraam Rayners on for Maseko and Makgopa. 85min - Decent passing move ends with Appollis again shotting from outside the box, keeper Crepeau stops, though it was going just wide anyway. 83min - Bafana on the back foot, but hanging on. Can they smash and grab something here?!! 78min - 10. Jonathan David takes it past Okon, forces a stop from Williams from tight angle on the left. 76min - 12. Tanitoluwa Oluwaseyi bists one low and just wide from the edge of the area. 75min - Canada’s best player, Bayern LB 19. Alphonso Davies (back from injury) on for 17. Tajon Buchanan. 75min - Better attack SA, ends with Mbatha hitting over from outside the area. 71min - The game is back ... 67min - That’s a hydration break. Ka-ching! 65min - Mbokazi, Williams keep Bafana Bafana in the game! 12. Tanitoluwa Oluwaseyi through, under attention of Okon gets a shot in stopped by Williams. Mbokazi gets the desperate challenge in ahead of 10. Jonathan David. 64min - Challenges still flying in from both sides, intensity still high. Not pretty, but intense, in this game. 62min - Oswin Appollis good drive from range, inches wide. 61min - SUBS: for Canada, 23. Niko Sigur and 4. Luc De Fougerolles on for on for Canada’s main runners, 25. Nathan Saliba, and 15. Moise Bombito 58min - Stop for an injury to 7. Stephen Eustaquio. 56min - Positive passing move by SA. Maseko cannot find Mudau free on the right, cannot get a shot in. 54min - Tshepang Moremi made the goal from the bench against South Korea. Wonder when he’ll be on here? 46min - SUB: At the break, Thalente Mbatha came on for Mofokeng. Tough for Rele - his midfield really didn’t get him ontop the game. But a tactical change too. Broos will see if three big men in midfield can helps Bafana win a battle they increasingly did not in the opening 45 minutes. 46min - the game is back! Half time - Canada may not be at home in this game but they are playing like a c0-host nation, determined not to let their country down. But for Bafana Bafana, they are at 0-0 with 45 minutes to play that could put them into a World Cup last 16. Huge! Huge! That can lift a team. Let’s see guys, let’s see! South Africa, how are you butterflies?!! HALF TIME - Bafana Bafana 0 Canada 0 A tough and uncompromising half from both teams really. Bafana Bafana with some excellent defending, but sometimes it had to be a bit desperate, especially at the end of the opening half. SA looked dangerous in attack in the opening 20min, but increasingly playing deep and on the back foot, having to defend well, when Canada stepped up the pace and intensity, with the North Americans showed they can do quite well. They play a bit like an English Prem League lower-table club - physical, aggressive and direct. Bafana have to figure out how to get their foot on the ball, get Mofokeng and the wingers’ skills and pace into the game in the second half. Hugo Broos needs a plan from the break. But SA can win this. If they can get an attacking rhythm back. 45+3 - Challenges still flying in from SA. And that’s the whistle! Half time. Bafana will be happy it’s 0-0. 45+1 VAR to look at Khuliso Mudau’s challenge on 22. Richie Laryea in the box. Penalty turned down! It’s still 0-0. 44min - Corner by 7. Stephen Eustaquio - huge let-off for Bafana! 12. Tanitoluwa Oluwaseyi header cleared off the line by Mbokazi. 17. Tajon Buchanan sheets into Williams’ chest. SA are alive though 41min - Canada FK comes to nothing. Be nice if Bafana could get some that earlier attacking verve back before the break. Something there - Maseko and Makgopa at the other end, comes to nothing. 34min - Stray pass from Mokoena in front of his box (SA playing a bit deep for a while) leads to 12. Tanitoluwa Oluwaseyi striking from a nwarrow angle, easily enough held by Williams. 33min - Right now, Bafana Bafana really more about frustrating Canada, taking the pace out of the game for the North Americans. 26min - The game is back. 23min - That’s a hydtration break. Come valuable ad revenue-making time for Fifa. 22min - Ime Okon challenge - Canada FK in dangerous position on the left. Delivery finds header close by unmarked 12. Tanitoluwa Oluwaseyi, who can’t get a solid connection and Ronwen Williams gratefully takes. 20min - After that bit of a pressure period where Canada looked good at ramping up the intensity, but SA holding them well, Bafana looking to slow it a bit, get some foot on the ball. 17min - Corner Canada, ball falls to feet of 10. Jonathan David unmarked to volley wide. 14min - Another promising attack from SA, no final pass to it. Canada counterattack ends with another excellent challenge in the box from so far monstrous Mbekezeli Mbokazi on 12. Tanitoluwa Oluwaseyi. 13min - SA defenders standing up in the challenge well. No panic in duels. 10min - Some good challenges coming in from SA when Canada attempt to pile on pressure. Maseko with a great block. Resultant corner comes to nothing for Canada. 6min - Really promising attack from SA, Evidence Makgopa’s run down the left picked out, ends with goalkeeper 16. Maxime Crepeau tested from range by Teboho Mokoena. 4min - Canada looking to get on the front foot. SA keeping shape well for now. 2min - The blow for Canada in Coach Jesse March’s starting XI - Alphonso Davies, the Bayern Munich left-back did not start - recovering from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the group stage, Marsch opted to name him on the bench. They also had the broken leg to star midfielder Kone against Qatar. They also lost home ground advantage not beating Switzerland in their last group game, so play this game in LA. Quite a few blows to Canada? 9pm - 1min - That’s kickoff!! 8.58pm - We await kickoff ... 8.53pm - The teams have taken the field ... we have the anthems - SA first ... 8.41pm - Are you feeling the butterflies South Africa? Are you feeling the butterflies?! This is it! Bafana Bafana in the World Cup knockouts, never seen before!! South Africa played the opening match of the tournament. How far they have come from that nervy start just to be here, playing the first game of the last 32! Win tonight and they can go through to meet Netherlands or Morocco in the last 16 in Houston on Saturday. We await the national anthems ... 8.39pm - Word from the coach on the Bafana approach for this match: 8.30pm - Others have also been arriving at Los Angeles Stadium ... Excellent .... 8.20pm - Bafana’s arrival at LA Stadium: 8.03pm - Here’s how Canada line up: Canada XI: 16. Maxime Crepeau 2. Alistair Johnston 15. Moise Bombito 13. Derek Cornelius 22. Richie Laryea 17. Tajon Buchanan 25. Nathan Saliba 7. Stephen Eustaquio 11 Liam Millar 10. Jonathan David 12. Tanitoluwa Oluwaseyi 7.50pm - The starting XIs are out! Here is Bafana Bafana. One change from Coach Hugo Broos from the impressive 1-0 win against South Korea in Monterrey on Thursday. This is really interesting. Frankly, yes, your Blogger believes Broos has got it about 100% right for the third match running. Teboho Mokoena, back from suspension, comes in for Thalente Mbatha, reuniting the central midfield pair that was such an excellent partnership with Sphephelo Sithole when Bafana won bronze in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2024. Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams and his back four of Khuliso Mudau, these two young centreback talents in Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Ime Okon and Aubrey Modiba were excellent against Korea. On the wings, Oswin Appollis was a little quieter against Korea after a strong game against Czechia - he could be due a dangerous game tonight; Thapelo Maseko was the scorer and man of the match against Korea. Relebohile Mofokeng’s touches in the last two games (Sub against Czechia, starting against Korea) at playmaker have reportedly drawn interest from clubs in Europe. Evidence Makgopa was strong up-front starting against the Koreans. Bafana XI: (4-2-3-1) Ronwen Williams - Khuliso Mudau, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Ime Okon, Aubrey Modiba - Sphephelo Sithole, Teboho Mokoena - Oswin Appollis, Relebohile Mofokeng, Thapelo Maseko - Evidence Makgopa 7.24pm - And ... as we await the starting XIs, here is a nit about why Bafana might just have a chance to win this game. Should we even say such a thing, though? It’s dangerous, starting to think this way about Bafana Bafana. Still, perhaps, just perhaps. This from per story by Mahlatse Mphahlele last week on Bafana’s travel logistics, losing a day’s training because FIFA insisted SA go via their Mexico training base in Pachuca, near Mexico Cityt, rather than direct to LA (Canada would have been able to travel to Los Angeles direct from Vancouver): While there’s a potential disadvantage from the travelling to reach Los Angeles, Bafana, after a genuinely polished win against classy 28th-ranked South Korea, will feel they have a chance against 31st-placed Canada. There are a few reasons why. Canada’s ceding of their Vancouver BC Place stronghold was demoralising for them. South Africa drew international scepticism with their performance in their opening Mexico defeat, but have settled and are coming off a monumental confidence boost from that display against the Koreans. Canada are no longer minnows like they once were in world football ― the country has put in great effort and made strides in the sport and they have some players based in strong leagues, with many in Major League Soccer. Yet their ranking might flatter them a margin. They have had some big injuries before and in the tournament, notably star Italian-based central midfielder Ismaël Koné, who broke his leg in their 6-0 win against Qatar. Bafana have their best player, central midfielder Teboho Mokoena, returning from suspension. Canada’s Group B, where their other result was a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina, had the feel of one, conspiratorially, a little rigged by Fifa as winnable for the co-hosts ― it’s always good financially when host nations go far in tournaments. Bafana have just came through a tough, tight group. There has not been a better opportunity for Bafana to reach a World Cup last 16. It will be tough against a team of hard-working, high-level professionals. But there just might be yet another round for Bafana to proceed in at this World Cup. ADD: Canada’s star players include: Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies, Juventus forward Jonathan David, Celtic defender Alistair Johnston and Villareal midfielder Tajon Buchanan. 7.12pm - Here is some match info: Teams: Bafana Bafana v Canada Kickoff: 12pm in Los Angeles, 9pm in South Africa Match Venue: Los Angeles Stadium, also called SoFi Stadium Stadium Capacity: 70,240 Stadium build completion: 2020 Stadium type: An indoor multi-purpose stadium in Inglewood, California, U.S., a suburb of Los Angeles Stage: World Cup last 32 About Inglewood: (per Wikipedia) Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, US, in the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city had a population of 107,762. It is in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, near Los Angeles International Airport. The Inglewood area was developed after the opening of the Venice–Inglewood railway in 1887 and incorporated as a city on February 14 1908. Match officials: Referee: João Pinheiro (Portugal); assistant referee 1: Bruno Jesus (Portugal), assistant referee 2: Luciano Maia (Portugal); fourth official: Omar Al Ali (United Arab Emirates); video assistant referee (VAR) Carlos del Cerro Grande (Spain). On TV: SABC 1, SABC 3, SABC Sport and streamed on SABC+; SuperSport’s 201 and 202 How Bafana reached the last 32: Second place in Group A - Mexico 9 points, South Africa 4 points, South Korea 3 points, Czechia 1 point. (Mexico 2 Bafana 0; Czechia 1 Bafana 1; Bafana 1 South Korea 0) How Canada reached the last 32: Second place in Group B - Switzerland 7 points, Canada 4 points, Bosnia and Herzegovina 4 points, Qatar 1 point. (Canada 1 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1; Canada 6 Qatar 0; Switzerland 2 Canada 1) The winners tonight play: Netherlands or Morocco in the last 16 in Houston on Saturday. 6.56pm - To follow, some match info ... 6.55pm - Wow. Here we are. Bafana Bafana in a World Cup knckput stage match. That’s just crazy, isn’t it? And not. It was going to happen sometime. The story of how they got there in Group A, as the lowest-ranked team of the four, desperately nervy and disappointing in that opener against Mexico, so improved drawing against Czechia, then, dare one say it, world class and exuberant beating a classy South Korea is now stuff of legend, and the past. Tonight (Sunday) in Los Angeles, it’s the 2026 FIFA World Cup last 32 game against Canada. History has been made with Bafana’s first progression past a group stage, entering coach Hugo Broos into the pantheon of legends for the national team. Can more be made with a last-16 place that the coach himself has admitted would be a miracle for his World Cup babes in the wood? Just a little more than two hours to go and then we find out. I am your LIVE UPDATES BLOGGER, Arena Holdings and TimesLIVE Digital Sports Editor Marc Strydom. Again, I am not in Los Angeles Stadium but bringing you these updates from my living room in Melville, Johannesburg. Hugely experienced and knowledgeable TimesLIVE and Arena Senior Sports Reporter Mahlatse Mphahlele has been covering the tournament for us in North America. Catch his match report once it’s published at around 11pm. South Africa! This is it! A real chance for Bafana Bafana to go to the last 16 of a World Cup. We must pinch ourselves. Then pinch a cold one from the fridge, get settled, spring-jumping action at the ready, in those couches, pull up a quart or a glass of wine in your bar, or tavern or shebeen or event fan evening; one of the most consequential matches in South African football history is set to begin soon. This is what football and being a football supporters is all about. The World Cup, baby! Go Bafana Bafana, go!!! All the World Cup fixtures here World Cup page here All the group profiles here Star player profiles here Bafana news here TimesLIVE

Along the way Broos said he succeeded in shutting up a few big mouths who derided Bafana at the start of their World Cup adventure.

He certainly managed to achieve that and proved actions speak louder than words.

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