World Cup 2026: Hugo Broos dismisses resignation calls, defends South Africa progress

South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has firmly pushed back against growing calls for his resignation, insisting he will not walk away from his role despite external criticism following their 1-1 draw with Czech Republic in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Broos, who has overseen a notable rebuild of Bafana Bafana in recent years, defended his record and stressed that expectations have changed significantly since he took charge.

“If you see five years ago, nobody knew Bafana Bafana, and look what we did in these five years and now the results are not what people expect,” he said after the match.

The Belgian coach argued that criticism is part of the job, especially at major tournaments, but insisted he remains focused on his responsibilities and not outside noise.

“They don’t think ‘are we able’, they just expect things,” Broos added. “And then you get the negative side of my job, the criticism, people wanting you to resign, and whatever.”

Despite the pressure, Broos made it clear he has no intention of stepping down, pointing to his long experience in management as a reason for his resilience in dealing with scrutiny.

“Okay — but I’m 40 years in this job,” he said. “The criticism is just water off my body. They can write and say what they want, I do what I think I need to do and today I think I did what I needed to do.”

His comments come at a critical stage of South Africa’s World Cup campaign, with Bafana Bafana still fighting for qualification from a tightly contested group. The draw against Czechia gave them their first point of the tournament, but also increased pressure ahead of their decisive final group fixture.

Broos’ side now turn their attention to a must-win clash against South Korea national football team, a match that will ultimately determine whether South Africa progress to the knockout stages or exit the competition early.

Despite the criticism, Broos remains defiant, insisting his project with Bafana Bafana should be judged on long-term progress rather than short-term results at a single tournament.