Hugo Broos Guides Bafana Bafana Into the World Cup Last 16
South Africa have made history at the 2026 World Cup, reaching the knockout stages for the first time ever — and according to The Guardian, no small part of the credit belongs to their 74-year-old Belgian head coach Hugo Broos, who is set to retire from football management when the tournament ends.
Bafana Bafana had been absent from the World Cup since hosting the competition in 2010, having featured only in 1998 and 2002 before that. Their passage to this stage, however, came perilously close to unravelling before a ball was kicked in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The Suspension Blunder That Almost Ended It All
Midfielder Teboho Mokoena was fielded in a qualifying match against Lesotho while serving a suspension — the result of accumulating two yellow cards — prompting Fifa to dock South Africa three points. The South African Football Association (Safa) launched an investigation, but the administrative manager primarily responsible for tracking suspensions was ultimately absolved of blame, a decision that drew sharp criticism from former officials. A former Safa figure told The Guardian the episode represented