On June 28, ahead of the match against Canada, South Africa's head coach Hugo Broos gave an interview.

Coach, how do you assess the partnership between Okon and Mbokazi? Given their age and how well they've gelled in such a short time.

Mbokazi is a very good player, and he's still very young. He's constantly improving, and if you look back at his form a year ago, he's much better now.

I genuinely hope that in the coming months or year he can step up to a higher level of competition, face more serious challenges, and continue to develop. He's not only a good player but also has leadership potential. I have high hopes for him and believe he'll have a very good career. As everyone saw in the matches: he's quick, strong, with good passing, an excellent center-back. With him, plus another young player, I'm confident that South Africa's future center-back pairing is secure.

This is a question about a historic moment for the national team. You're making history right now—do you often talk about this historic significance? Or do you prefer to set that aside?

As you said, this is a historic moment.

We can already say that this World Cup has been successful for us because we reached the second round, which is what many hoped for. But that doesn't mean we're satisfied. We're not just going to play a match and go home. Now that we're here, we want more—we want to win the next game. If we can maintain the same fighting spirit and level as we had against Korea, then we have a chance to win. Canada is a very strong team, and we must play at our maximum level, otherwise it will be impossible to beat them. If we can take another step and reach the round of 16, that would be a real miracle for South African football.

After beating Korea, South Africa celebrated wildly, with people taking to the streets at 5 in the morning. What do you feel seeing all this? How do you channel that emotion into motivation?

First of all, I'm very proud myself. Over the past five years working in South Africa, I can't deny that the team has made real progress, and I've truly changed some things.

Initially, many didn't understand my approach—for example, I called up players from lower leagues instead of only selecting players from big clubs.

But I've built the team's structure step by step. Later, after we achieved results at the African Cup of Nations, people began to understand what was happening. But I want to emphasize that this isn't just my achievement; the players are what matter most. If the players aren't willing to execute the tactics, nothing happens. This is a very motivated young team, and they crave success. When I first arrived, many thought South African football was in decline, but now the situation is completely different. I'm equally proud of the team and the players.

What do you think about Alphonso Davies?

Of course, we know about him, but we're more focused on our own plan. As long as we execute our work well, we have a chance to achieve the result we want.

This has been a very grueling World Cup, with constant travel and time zone changes. How has this affected the team?

It's genuinely very exhausting. We have to keep flying and recovering between matches, which takes a real toll on the players. But on the other hand, when you win and advance to the next round, that fatigue also becomes motivation. We're in good spirits right now and will be fully prepared for the next match.

You've adjusted your tactics in different matches. Do you feel the team plays better with attacking football? Will you continue this approach tomorrow?

Every match is different. We'll shape our strategy based on the opponent. The key is exploiting the opponent's weaknesses while limiting their strengths. If we do that, we have a chance to win.

You're 74 years old, and this may be your last World Cup in your coaching career. What does that mean to you?

It's a very good milestone and an important moment in my coaching career. I won't be coaching for another 20 years; this could be my last World Cup. But I'm still full of energy, and I don't want to stop completely. Perhaps in the future I'll reduce my hours, spend more time with family, and continue doing something related to football.

The atmosphere before each match is very strong. Can you describe that feeling?

In South Africa we call it "Gumboot." Before the match we sing together—it unites us and also motivates us. These songs get us into game mode and motivate us to fight even harder.

Why are African teams performing so well at this World Cup?

I think the key is belief in themselves. In the past, many African teams lacked confidence when facing strong European and South American teams, but now that's changed.

Now they believe they can compete and win. It's a psychological shift. If this continues to develop, African football will become even stronger in the future.

How important do you rate this match?

This is a match where we must give everything. If we play at our maximum, we have a chance to win. We won't be satisfied with what we've achieved; we want to keep pushing forward.

What's your assessment of Canada?

Canada is a very strong team. They're physically powerful and press their opponents from the first to the 90th minute. They're very compact and immediately counter-press after losing the ball, which makes it very difficult for opponents to breathe. If we can't handle that intensity, it will be very tough.

Переведено ИИ.

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