Broos: What Bafana need to do v South Korea
by Thato Bosoga · KickOffBafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has revealed what his team needs to focus on the most against South Korea in their decisive final 2026 FIFA World Cup group match on Thursday.
Bafana need maximum points at all costs to confirm progress to the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time, as they currently sit bottom of Group A with one point.
Getting it right against South Korea
Broos was criticized for an ultra-defensive approach in a 2-0 defeat to Mexico but changed to a more attacking system against Czechia, where his charges came from behind to salvage a 1-1 draw.
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All eyes will be focused on how the Belgian approaches the do-or-die encounter at Estadio Monterrey, especially with key midfielder Teboho Mokoena suspended.
Speaking on the profile of the Taegeuk Warriors, the 74-year-old tactician opened up on what they need to get right in order to stand any chance of winning.
"This is specifically for an Eastern team. They are always a hard-working team, very disciplined, physically strong. And not strong because they are 1.9 (metres) like the Czechs, but they run 90 minutes,” said Broos on the first episode of INSIDE CAMP podcast by The South African Football Association (SAFA).
The Bafana coach likened playing aginst the Koreans to coming up against a machine that was plugged into a charger before the game and once you take out the plug; they start running for 90 minutes with stringent discipline.
The need to match the Koreans' tenacity
"Everyone knows his role and his position, and you see that when they have the ball, and when they lose the ball, immediately they try to recuperate," Broos shared his assessment of Bafana's next opponents.
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“So, it's a difficult team. It's not a team of high quality, but it's a very difficult team to play against because of that mentality. It's up to us to also have the same mentality because we will need it."
He emphasized the need to work very hard and also be disciplined.
"If we can achieve that, we have a chance to win that game. Otherwise, it will be a very difficult game for us," he explained.
Kick-off is at 03:00 (SA time)
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2026 Fifa World Cup Bafana Bafana Hugo Broos News South Korea