Hugo Broos Explains Why He’s Not Happy With Bafana Bafana’s 2026 World Cup Draw
- Hugo Broos has reacted to Bafana Bafana's group after the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw was held in Washington,DC, in the US
- The Belgian tactician, alongside the South African Football Association president, travelled to the US for the global football competition's draw
- The former Cameroon national team coach stated why he is not happy with South Africa's group after they were drawn in the same group as Mexico
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Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has explained why he is not happy with South Africa's group after the FIFA 2026 World Cup draw on Friday, December 5, 2026.
Source: Getty Images
The Belgian coach was part of the South African delegation that travelled to the United States of America to witness the World Cup draw in Washington, D.C.
Bafana Bafana were drawn in Group A alongside one of the co-hosts, Mexico, South Korea, and a team that will qualify from the play-offs after they were placed in Pot 3 ahead of the draw.
Broos not happy with Bafana's draw
Broos expressed his disappointment at being drawn to face the host nation, Mexico, in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Group A clash will be played on 11 June at the Azteca Stadium in front of a passionate home crowd.
Although South Africa managed to avoid top seeds such as France, England, Germany, Spain, and Argentina, Broos admitted he was not pleased about the prospect of meeting the hosts first.
He said he could not be happy about opening against the home team or playing in front of 80,000 energetic fans, noting that while the atmosphere would be incredible, his team had nothing to lose because few expect South Africa to beat Mexico. He added that the players should simply enjoy the moment.
South Africa was also grouped with South Korea and one of four European nations — Denmark, North Macedonia, the Czech Republic, or Ireland, with the final team to be confirmed after the March play-offs, which will determine the final six qualifiers for the expanded 48-team World Cup. Under the new format, the top two teams from each of the 12 groups will advance to the knockout stage, along with the eight best third-placed teams.
Broos said he was initially pleased when South Korea appeared in the group, but was hoping for a different final opponent than the one they are likely to get. He believes Denmark may be the likely opponent to complete the group and admitted that both Mexico and Denmark are strong teams, making it difficult for South Africa to finish first or second.
However, with the new system allowing the best third-placed teams to advance, Broos feels Bafana can fight for that spot. He insisted that everything is possible and that the team will approach the tournament with the same determination they have shown over the past few years, fighting hard to see how far they can go.
Source: Getty Images
Williams reacts to 2026 World Cup draw
Briefly News earlier reported that Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams shared his thoughts on Bafana Bafana's group at the 2026 World Cup.
The Bafana Bafana captain also talked about their chances of qualifying from their group in the competition.
Source: Briefly News
