INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — This World Cup is already a landmark for South Africa, which had never advanced out of group play in its three previous trips to the sport’s biggest stage
If Hugo Broos’ team goes even farther when it faces co-host Canada on Sunday in the tournament’s first knockout match, the Belgian coach is ready to call that something even bigger
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“If we should succeed again to go through to the (next) round, I can say that should be a miracle for Bafana Bafana,” Broos said Saturday
Broos took over this team five years ago believing that the nation with Africa’s sixth-largest population and its largest GDP should consistently have one of the continent’s best teams. Bafana Bafana, as the team is known to its fans, had won only two World Cup matches in its checkered international history — but Broos has built a roster consisting largely of players from South Africa’s domestic league into a talented, versatile team that is finally living up to its nation’s potential.
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South Africa still had to open this World Cup in arguably the most difficult way possible — facing co-host Mexico’s strong team in the altitude of formidable Azteca Stadium
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But Broos’ players rebounded impressively from that 2-0 messy loss: They drew 1-1 with Czechia before advancing with a stunning 1-0 win over favored South Korea last Wednesday
“I think we can say already now that the World Cup is a success for us,” Broos said Saturday before his team toured the field at SoFi Stadium. “Everybody expected and hoped that we should be in the second round, and we are, but that doesn’t mean we are happy. Once you are there, you want more.”
They’ve been required to make a quick turnaround from that match, traveling from the match in the Monterrey area down to their training base in Pachuca on Thursday before getting back on a plane to Los Angeles on Friday
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But Bafana Bafana is riding an emotional high after achieving its unprecedented success. Defender Ime Okon said the players have been eagerly watching videos of the celebrations that broke out across their country near dawn when their team clinched a spot in the knockout rounds
“It’s a historic moment for us as a country,” said Okon, who plays professionally in Germany. “We’re just really happy and excited for it, and if we can go on, we will. … . We have a special group. We just want to see how far we can go.”
South Africa’s young core of talent appears to be flourishing under Broos, but the 74-year-old bench boss says he is almost certainly done with coaching after this World Cup — although he might stay on with the federation in a new role. He remains focused on extending this improbable run as a capstone to his 55 years in professional soccer
Canada also has never won a knockout-round match at the World Cup, so history will be made no matter which team leaves California with a spot in the Round of 16
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“We have a big chance to win that game,” Broos said. “It’s not because we are now in the second round that we are happy to play a game (Sunday) and go home. This is not the mentality of the team, and this is certainly not the atmosphere. Everyone wants to win again. It’s already historical, but can you imagine what it would be for Bafana Bafana if we go to the (next) round?”
Okon and Broos both said South Africa’s team is proud to be part of their continent’s remarkable joint success in this World Cup. Seven of the 10 participating African teams had already qualified for the knockout rounds by Saturday afternoon, with more likely to join them
“Maybe before, African teams didn’t really believe in themselves when they went to a World Cup because they played against the big countries,” Broos said. “I think that changed a little bit in the past year. The belief is growing in Africa that we have good teams and we can play a certain role in World Cup. To think that tomorrow there will be an African team to be world champion, that is a little bit too soon. But it can happen.”
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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
