National Teams
Hugo Broos dreams South Africa’s World Cup qualification ahead of Super Eagles
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
South Africa’s senior men’s national team head coach, Hugo Broos, has acknowledged the challenges posed by their 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifying group.
Despite the obstacles, he remains determined to secure a spot in the tournament.
The former Cameroon coach recently unveiled his final 23-man roster for the upcoming qualifier against Nigeria, set to take place on June 7 at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
Broos discussed the complexity of the group, which includes Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and other neighboring countries. He described the group as “tricky” rather than straightforward.
“It will not be easy certainly when you see the group,” Broos told SABC Sports. “It might not be a strong group but a tricky group with Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and countries around South Africa. It will not be easy.”
He expressed confidence in his team, emphasizing their strong performance in the recent Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), where South Africa finished third after a narrow semi-final loss to Nigeria decided by penalties.
“Certainly Nigeria, but at the other side, I think we have confidence. We believe in ourselves because of AFCON’s performance. The ambition is to go to the World Cup.”
Reflecting on their AFCON journey, Broos highlighted the team’s progress and the positive results over the past two years.
“It’s my ambition and that of the players. I think we did a very good AFCON with a very good performance. Everybody saw that the team was progressing in the last two years and the results were there.”
He concluded with a clear message about the team’s goals: “Now you are there, you want more. When you are a sportsman with ambition you want more. We want to go to the World Cup.”
Broos and his squad will be looking to build on their recent successes and take another step towards their World Cup aspirations when they face the Super Eagles in Uyo.
