General View during the Hugo Broos, South Africa head coach Media Round Table at SAFA House, in Johannesburg on 23 October 2025 ©Phakamisa Lensman/BackpagePix
Wednesday Apr 01, 2026. 13:00
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos admitted he saw some things in the 2-1 defeat to Panama on Monday that he didn’t know beforehand which will prove valuable for the 2026 World Cup.
Broos’s unbeaten record on home soil came to an end at the Cape Town Stadium as second-half goals from Jose Cordoba (58′) and Jiovany Ramos (77′) stunned the sold-out crowd.
Mbekezile Mbokazi had briefly restored parity with a long-range thunderbolt, but South Africa were made to pay for their wastefulness once more as Los Canaleros overran them in the second 45 minutes.
“The first half was good, three very open chances and [we] didn’t score, and in such a game [it] can be crucial,” Broos told SABC Sport.
“In the second half we were overpowered by Panama. They had more power and speed in the team and made many difficulties, and we couldn’t play our game.
“I said before these two games it would be a good test, we know what international football is and what football is from other continents.
“I’m very happy to have played Panama and we need to say what we didn’t do to win on Friday, Panama did today.”
Broos made several changes from the team that drew 1-1 with the South Americans in Durban on Friday, with Mbokazi, Jayden Adams, Bongokuhle Hlongwane and Relebohile Mofokeng all handed starts.
The Belgian claims he still has some tough choices to make ahead of the global showpiece in Canada, Mexico and the United States after trying some new combinations in Cape Town.
“That was the goal of these games, to see some players, to see if we use them in future and some other changes in positions and therefore again it was an interesting game for us and for me,” Broos added.
“It will not make my choice easier but I saw some things I didn’t know before the game and that is very important.
“I think it’s the reason we had [Ime Okon and Hlongwane] today to see them, I wanted to see them. You can only know their performances in the club, but this is different, interesting two games and we’ll see what we do for the future.”