Hugo Broos, the head coach of South Africa, stated his team gave a good account of themselves against Nigeria in their semi-final match on Wednesday, which they ultimately lost 2-4 on penalties.
The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) match went to extra time as the Bafana Bafana team overcame a late deficit to level the match. Bafana Bafana missed two of their penalties, while the Super Eagles converted four of theirs.
In response to their loss, Broos stated that his team deserved to win the match in order to advance to the finals since they played a far superior game.
“Football can be hard sometimes when you look at the performance of my team, and then there were the penalty kicks. Then you lose the penalty shootout and you are not in the finals.
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“It’s hard to accept that because we played a very good game today. I think we were the best team in the first half, we got the best chances, Nigeria didn’t have any chance. In the second half, they had few chances which resulted in a goal and we changed something tactically, and we came back,” he said.
He maintained that his team had more opportunities and that Nigeria would not have advanced to the final if they had scored.
The Belgian also praised his squad’s performance in the competition.
“It’s a big disappointment for everyone, and we believe we played a very good game, not just today but throughout the tournament. I’m proud of my players. The disappointment is in not being in the final, but the pride is in having performed well,” he said.
Now, on Saturday, South Africa will play DR Congo in the third-place playoff.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
