"Emotional moment": South Africa coach Kroos as team reaches FIFA WC 1st ever knockout round
Mexico City, June 25
Following his side's first-ever qualification to the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup, South African Hugo Broos hailed the moment as an "emotional" one, noting that the side wanted to survive the group stage. He also hailed the team's self-belief.
A sensational goal from Thapelo Maseko took South Africa into the history books, as they beat South Korea 1-0 in their final league stage match of the tournament to make it to the knockout stages for the first time, after finishing second in Group A. Maseko became the second youngest goalscorer for South Africa in the FIFA World Cup at 22 years and 225 days.
Following the match, Broos said, as quoted by Reuters, that "everyone did their job" and was proud of the show put up by the team as they became the seventh African nation to reach the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup.
"I think we played a very good game tactically. It was very good; everyone did their job... I'm very proud of the performance of my team," Broos said.
"It was an emotional moment. We came here to Mexico, and we wanted to survive the group stage... And that for me was really a moment of emotions, not only because we won the game, but also for me, because as I have said in the past, it probably will be one of the last games of my career," he added.
Kroos also said that when the opponents had the ball in their possession, his side succeeded in covering all the spaces and became just as lethal when SA got the ball in their possession.
"But when we had the ball, it was dangerous for them because we used the spaces that they gave us. We had quick plays and we have players who can find their spaces," he said.
"Today you saw a team that believed in itself... On Sunday (Monday, June 29 in their round of 16 match, again you will see a team that will believe in itself and that will fight for the 90 minutes, and more if we have to. And then we will see. But let's hope we come out with a good result," he signed off.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Honestly, South Africa deserved this. They played with heart and discipline throughout the group stage. Maseko's goal was special - reminds me of how our young Indian talents sometimes light up the field in domestic tournaments. Hope more African teams reach these heights! 🙌
Emotional indeed! Kroos seems genuinely moved - you can see how much this means to him and the players. South Africa's tactical discipline was impressive; they didn't just defend but counter-attacked with purpose. Maybe AIFF should take notes on how to build a team with belief. Just saying! 😅
South Africa's journey is inspiring - from not being taken seriously to making history. Broos deserves all the credit for instilling self-belief. But let's be real, they'll need more than emotion against their next opponent. Still, this is a moment for all of Africa to celebrate! 🇿🇦❤️
A respectful observation: while this is a great achievement, South Africa's path was relatively favorable with a manageable group. Their real test will be in the knockout stages. That said, any team reaching this stage for the first time deserves applause. India should study how African nations are progressing in football while we still struggle with basics.
What a game! South Africa showed incredible character to hold onto that 1-0 lead. Kroos saying "everyone did their job" - that's what team spirit is all about. Makes me think about how our Indian cricket team has that same unity. Different sport, same feeling of pride! 🇮🇳⚽