South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has praised his players’ tactical discipline and team spirit after Bafana Bafana secured a historic 1-0 victory over South Korea to reach the FIFA World Cup Round of 32.
Thapelo Maseko’s decisive second-half strike proved enough to separate the two sides in a tense contest, sending South Africa into the knockout phase where they will face co-hosts Canada.
“We played really well and created chances,” Broos said. “Tactically, we did really well and the Korea Republic could not find the spaces that they wanted.”
South Africa’s organised defensive structure limited South Korea’s attacking opportunities. Broos admitted the closing stages were nerve-racking. “We scored the goal and then it was 20 minutes with a very high heart rate,” he said.
The veteran coach attributed the success to the strong bond developed within the squad over the past five years.