South Africa’s World Cup run ended in heartbreak after a 1-0 loss to Canada in Los Angeles, sealed by a stoppage-time winner from Stephen Eustaquio.
Although eliminated in their first-ever appearance in the knockout phase, Bafana leave the tournament with renewed belief after reaching the Round of 32 – their best performance at a World Cup and their first appearance at the global showpiece since hosting it in 2010.
Broos said the experience gained on football’s biggest stage should position his relatively young squad to become consistent World Cup participants in the years ahead.
“I think we will be in this tournament a lot of times,” Broos said after the match.
“It was certainly something that we had to do. In the coming months, I am sure that this team will be stronger than before.”
READ: ‘This is my last World Cup’- Hugo Broos Confirms Final World Cup after brave Bafana exit
The Belgian admitted his side were tested by the physical superiority of their opponents but believes there are valuable lessons to take from competing against elite nations.
“If you look at the players we faced, they are a little better than us, but we can learn a lot from that. We played a good game, but I think we could have done more. When an opponent has so much power and speed, we are in trouble,” he said.
Broos also maintained that despite the painful exit, his pride in the group remains unchanged after overseeing a remarkable turnaround in South African football over the past five years.
“I am still as proud as I was a few days ago. I think we had a very good World Cup,” the Bafana coach continued.
“But when you play against a team that has power and speed, we still trail behind. This is something we have to learn, and that is why it was so important for this team to be here.”
The campaign has further strengthened Broos’ legacy with Bafana, having transformed the side into genuine international competitors through structure, discipline and belief.
Attention will now shift to the coach’s future, with Broos expected to make a final decision after returning to South Africa, having previously indicated that he could step down once his contract concludes.