“It’s a big disappointment for everyone,” Hugo Broos on South Africa’s elimination
South Africa’s national coach, Hugo Broos, believes that Bafana Bafana deserved to qualify for the CAN 2023 final against Nigeria.
Despite a generally dominated match, especially in the second half, South Africa ultimately failed to snatch victory against Nigeria on Wednesday evening. Against the Super Eagles in a semi-final of the CAN 2023 played at the Stade de la Paix in Bouaké, Bafana Bafana lost on penalties after a score of parity (1-1) at the end of regulation time and 30 minutes of overtime.
A disappointment for the South Africans who will not play their second final in a CAN after 1996. Reacting to this defeat, coach Hugo Broos explained that his team had played much better and deserved to win the match.
“Football can be difficult sometimes, when you see my team’s performance today, and then there are penalties, then you lose the penalty shootout and you’re not in the final, it’s difficult to accept this because we are playing a very good match today”he regretted in comments relayed by Africatopsport.
“I think we were the better team in the first half, we had the better chances, Nigeria had no chance. In the second half they had few chances that resulted in a goal and we changed something tactically, and we could come back (…) We created more chances which meant if we had scored we would have been in the final and not Nigeria.”he added.
The Belgian tactician also congratulated his colts who have nothing to be ashamed of for their performance in this tournament. “It’s a big disappointment for everyone, we think we played a very good match, not just today but throughout the tournament. I’m proud of my players, that’s the disappointment but that’s the pride.” he concluded. Next Saturday, South Africa will try to snatch the last match on the podium during the classification match of this CAN which will pit it against the DRC, beaten by Ivory Coast.