South Africa coach Hugo Broos backs Bafana Bafana to compete in tough World Cup group

Head coach of South Africa Hugo Broos has reacted to the 2026 World Cup draw, insisting the Bafana Bafana are paired in a difficult group.

The Bafana Bafana are paired in Group A against Mexico and South Korea following the draw in Washington DC last Friday. The three teams will be joined by a European qualifying team from the playoff, scheduled for March 2026.

South African will open their World Cup against host country, Mexico, at the iconic Azteca Stadium on June 11, 2026.

This match will be a repeat of the 2010 World Cup opener, where South Africa and Mexico played out a 1-1 draw at FNB Stadium.

“It’s not an easy one,” Broos told SAFA after the draw in the United States, where the global spectacle will be co-hosted by Mexico and Canada.

“First of all, you have to play the first game of the tournament against Mexico in a stadium, home game for Mexico, so it will be very tough for us that game.

“Secondly, we have South Korea. So from that point, I was happy with Mexico and South Korea, and I hope the last one, it should be something else than what we have now. So now probably we will have also Denmark in our group.

“So we have with Mexico and Denmark, two very big teams. So it will be difficult for us to be in second or first, but at the other side now, with the new the new World Cup, the first eight of third places can go through. So we have to focus on that, and maybe we can be one of the best first and third places.”

For the team time, South Africa will focus on the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Morocco, scheduled between December 2025 and January 2026.