Bafana Bafana defender Aubrey Modiba is hoping coach Hugo Broos stays with the team until next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania
Broos, who has indicated he will retire after the 2026 Fifa World Cup to spend time with his family in Belgium, has made noises at the tournament implying he may have changed his mind and is willing to stay for a little longer
Speaking after South Africa were eliminated from the tournament by Canada, who secured the last-gasp 1-0 last-32 win with the 92nd-minute goal of Stephen Eustaquio at Los Angeles Stadium on Sunday, Modiba said Broos has unfinished business with Afcon
Broos guided Bafana to a third-place finish during the tournament in Ivory Coast in 2024, where they surpassed all expectations. South Africa were eliminated by Cameroon in the last 16 earlier this year
“I hope he stays; I think he has unfinished business with Afcon,” said left-back Modiba, who played in all three World Cup matches for South Africa
Modiba said the Belgian had a positive impact on South African football since he took over in 2021, where he rebuilt the team into a disciplined and competitive outfit
“He has changed South African football if we are to be honest. We have not qualified for these major tournaments before, and he has changed the mentality of the players in the way we approach games
“Right now, we don’t really fear anyone, irrespective of the name of the opposition. We believe in ourselves and that we can match any team.”
Modiba said Bafana have many positives to take from the 2026 World Cup
“Lessons learnt are if you make mistakes, they will punish you because these teams possess quality. We just have to make sure we are switched on for 90 or more minutes
“We conceded early goals in the first two games and a late one in the last match. We just need to work on those things, and then we can be a better team.”
Broos showed confidence in young players such as Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Ime Okon and Thapelo Maseko in North America. Modiba said the future is bright for Bafana
“I am excited for the future because this is a young team, and what is important is they are playing and doing well. The likes of Mbokazi and Okon at the back show the future is bright, and I am happy for them.”
Asked to reflect on the tournament, Modiba said Bafana managed a turnaround after their 2-0 opening defeat to Mexico, where the performance was nervy and under par
“We didn’t start well and were written off from the start. No-one gave us a chance, but we gave ourselves a chance because we knew what we could do as a team
I don’t think anything went wrong against Canada; we just conceded this time. Last time against South Korea, we did not concede, and that’s the difference
— Aubrey Modiba
“We managed to bounce back with a draw against Czechia, beat South Korea and qualified for the knockout stage, where anything can happen
“It was not our day against Canada, but we can take the positives from this loss and the entire tournament because that is going to help us in the next Afcon
“I don’t think anything went wrong against Canada; we just conceded this time. Last time against South Korea we did not concede and that’s the difference
“It was a different opposition compared with South Korea in Monterrey. Canada were physical, quick and tall — but we still played well. We played according to our strengths, and the difference is that we conceded
“I am not going to take anything away from Canada. I think they played well, but it could have gone either way.”
