South Africa coach Hugo Broos heartbroken by defeat to Nigeria
South Africa head coach, Hugo Broos, expressed his disappointment after his side’s 4-2 penalty shootout defeat against Nigeria in the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023 semi-finals.
Despite coming back from a goal down and forcing the game into penalties, South Africa ultimately fell short.
Broos felt his team played better and deserved to win the game, expressing his frustration at the outcome.
“Football can be hard sometimes. When you see the performance of my team today and then there are penalties, and then you lose the penalties and you are not in the finals, it’s hard to accept that because we played a very good game today,” Broos remarked.
“I think we were the best team in the first half. We got the best chances, Nigeria didn’t have any chance. Second half, they had a few chances which resulted in a goal, and we changed something tactically, and we could come back,” he added.
Broos highlighted missed opportunities and emphasized that his team created more chances, which could have secured their spot in the final.
Despite the disappointment, he praised his players for their performance throughout the tournament, calling it a great achievement.
“It’s a big disappointment for everyone. We believe we played a very good game, not just today but throughout the tournament. I’m proud of my players.
The disappointment is there, but so is the pride,” he concluded.
South Africa will now shift their focus to the third-place playoff against D.R Congo on Saturday, February 10.
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