World Cup 2026: Hugo Broos rejects resignation calls, defends Bafana Bafanaâ??s rise under his tenure

South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has dismissed growing calls for his resignation following the Bafana Bafana inconsistent performance at the 2026 World Cup.

The Bafana Bafana has yet to record a win at the global showpiece after two group games, losing one and drawing one. South Africa succumbed to a 2-0 defeat to Mexico in their opening match before playing out a 1-1 draw with Czech Republic on Thursday.

Amid calls for his resignation, Broos has highlighted the teams upward trajectory since taking over the Bafana Bafana five years back.

“If you see five years ago, nobody knew Bafana Bafana, and look what we did in these five years and now the results are not what people expect,” he said after the match.

The Belgian coach argued that criticism is part of the job, especially at major tournaments, but insisted he remains focused on his responsibilities and not outside noise.

“They don’t think ‘are we able’, they just expect things,” Broos added. “And then you get the negative side of my job, the criticism, people wanting you to resign, and whatever.”

Despite the pressure, Broos made it clear he has no intention of stepping down, pointing to his long experience in management as a reason for his resilience in dealing with scrutiny.

“Okay — but I’m 40 years in this job,” he said. “The criticism is just water off my body. They can write and say what they want, I do what I think I need to do and today I think I did what I needed to do.”

His comments come at a critical stage of South Africa’s World Cup campaign, with Bafana Bafana still fighting for qualification from a tightly contested group. The draw against Czech gave them their first point of the tournament, but also increased pressure ahead of their decisive final group fixture.

Broos’ side now turn their attention to a must-win clash against South Korea national football team, a match that will ultimately determine whether South Africa progress to the knockout stages or exit the competition early.

Despite the criticism, Broos remains defiant, insisting his project with Bafana Bafana should be judged on long-term progress rather than short-term results at a single tournament.

Send your news stories to [email protected] and via WhatsApp on +233 546310076.

Read Full Story