Bafana Bafana must shed caution in World Cup clash against Czechia

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos is undoing all his hard work with the senior men’s South African soccer side. Ironically, he is doing this by actively trying not to undo all his hard work since he arrived in South Africa five years ago and resuscitated the team.

Against Czechia on Thursday, 18 June, Bafana Bafana will have to shake off the most recent example of this phenomenon, which began at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon). Their slim hopes of reaching the World Cup knockout stage for the first time depend on a positive result in the match, which kicks off at 6pm.

Bravado required

Bafana Bafana went into their first Fifa World Cup appearance in 16 years shaking in their soccer boots. At least that was the message that Broos sent to the world with an overly conservative starting lineup, which featured as many as five defenders.

Moreover, the three midfielders deployed against the Mexicans a week ago were not attacking by nature. Sphephelo Sithole was essentially a sixth defensive player as his job was to protect the backline as a defensive midfielder. He struggled to do this under immense Mexican pressure and was eventually sent off in the match.

Sithole’s partners on the day, Jayden Adams and Teboho Mokoena, generally thrive on juggling both attack and defence during a game. But with El Tri hogging the ball and pressing the South Africans high up on the pitch for most of the match, the duo’s creative prowess was nullified at an electric Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.

A different tactical approach will be key if the South Africans are to reach the knockout stages for the first time, in what is their fourth World Cup appearance.

Shake off the nerves, Bafana

Bafana Bafana have qualified for the 1998, 2002 and the 2026 World Cups through their own blood and sweat. In 2010, they had a free pass and circumvented the gruelling qualification journey due to South Africa being the host nation for that year’s offering of the quadrennial soccer spectacle.

After missing out on all subsequent World Cup editions since 2010, including the 2014, 2018 and 2022 showpieces, it was always set to be an uncomfortable comeback to this level for Bafana Bafana. Even so, their display against Mexico in the opening match of the 2026 tournament was extremely poor.

The display lacked personality, and it appeared that Broos had set up his team to merely hold the Mexicans off, as opposed to taking the fight to the co-host nation (alongside the US and Canada).

Of course, this backfired emphatically, and Bafana Bafana lost 2-0. The South Africans have since been criticised for what analysts termed a cowardly approach after 16 years away from the global stage. In his post-match analysis of the game, Broos said: “We didn’t want to lose. But it is what it is.”

Based on the team’s tactics, Bafana Bafana did not want to win either. Or more accurately, the South Africans did not have a single ounce of belief that they could win against the Mexicans at a packed Azteca.

“I don’t think there was a drop in the standard of my players. It’s just that this level is much higher than the level we usually play at. We were up against a very good team today. We played against a strong Mexico side and, at times, I saw a desperate Mexico that didn’t know what to do with the ball. Our defensive organisation was perfect,” Broos insisted.

“Offensively, we need to improve. We had opportunities. But the final pass wasn’t good enough, and our runs weren’t always the right ones,” the Belgian coach said.

Conservative coaching

However, the approach against Mexico was not a random or isolated one. It was also deployed by Broos and his technical team at Afcon 2025 in Morocco, when Bafana Bafana were eliminated in the round of 16 by Cameroon in a 2-1 defeat. Before he was appointed Bafana Bafana boss in May 2021, Broos steered Cameroon to an Afcon title.

At the most recent Afcon edition, the Broos-coached team appeared intent on preserving their 2023 status as bronze medallists, rather than pushing for an improved finish. It’s as if they felt they did not belong on the biggest stage of African soccer, that they were impostors.

When the South Africans embarked on that memorable run at the Ivory Coast-hosted 2023 Afcon, no one would have bet on the team making it that far. Before that edition, Bafana Bafana had failed to qualify for four of the previous 10 Afcons. Even when they did qualify, they were fortunate to even make it out of the group stage.

In Morocco a few months ago, Broos and his technical team were intent on altering their style and did not play with the same freedom, flair and bravery that was on display in Ivory Coast. Instead, the focus was heavily on defence. Against Mexico, the same was true.

Nonetheless, under Broos, things have generally changed drastically for South African soccer.

Bafana Bafana may not be at the level they were soon after apartheid was abolished and they were crowned African champions. But with the Belgian at the helm, they have qualified for three successive major tournaments, including the World Cup and two Afcons.

Maybe this growth, after years of regression, has placed pressure on the team. It is possible that after taking the team from an era where it was the joke of South African sport when it came to national teams, to where they are now, Broos has been afraid to take any further risks.

Regardless of the reasons, Bafana Bafana must emerge from their self-created shell or face another defeat against Czechia, a loss which will most probably dash their knockout phase ambitions. DM

Czechia vs South Africa — Thursday, 18 June (6pm).