Beijing time (CEST) on June 29, in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match, South Africa conceded a goal in extra time, losing 0-1 to Canada and unfortunately failing to advance to the quarterfinals. South African player Teboho Mokoena said in a post-match interview that conceding that late goal was deeply painful; African football has made significant progress.

Despite the result not being what you wanted, I can say that all of Africa is proud of you. How is the mood in the dressing room right now?

The dressing room is very quiet right now. Everyone is feeling this loss. We feel we could have done better, especially losing a match like this. So everyone is quite upset. Of course, we can be proud that we made history for ourselves, but the way we lost makes this feeling complicated, a bit bitter.

What lessons can you take from this overall journey?

At the highest level, the margins are very slim. When you get chances, you have to take them, you have to convert them into goals. The opponent didn't have many chances, but they got one and scored. That's the lesson we must learn for the future: we need to be more clinical in front of goal.

Do you feel that in the final stages of the match, your team became too defensive or too cautious, which ultimately led to the goal? How do you see the final stage of the match?

I think we started to fade physically, and there were too many counterattacks. The game became very open, and we couldn't settle down, so the game could have gone either way. The goal we conceded really hurt me inside because I was right behind the goalscorer. If I'd taken three more steps, maybe I could have blocked the shot, and that's been eating at me. But I can't blame the effort of my teammates. Everyone gave everything. Today, luck was on the other side.

When you needed a goal, Forster, who plays in the Premier League and is one of your best players, sat on the bench. As a midfielder, did you feel frustrated?

My friend, I'm not the coach.

Today you faced Canada as the home team, but the match was actually played at a neutral venue, with many different fans, including Mexican supporters cheering. How did you feel about that atmosphere?

We're used to atmospheres like this—it wasn't too intense today. We're accustomed to people whistling throughout the match, so today wasn't too overwhelming.

Although you're disappointed now, 9 out of 10 African teams reached the knockout stage, and you've also achieved this for the first time. What does this mean for the development of African football?

I think African football has developed significantly since Dr. Patrice Motsepe became CAF President. We can also be proud of Africa because so many teams can compete at the highest level. African football is developing, and hopefully more African teams will participate in the next FIFA World Cup.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

Situs web AF kini hadir! Lihat berita lengkap, komentar, detail pertandingan, dan statistik di komputer Anda. Kunjungi: www.allfootballapp.com