South Africa Coach Slams Referee After Loss to Mexico in World Cup

Hugo Broos, head coach of the South African national team, criticized Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio following his team’s defeat to Mexico in the 2026 World Cup.

South Africa lost 2-0 to Mexico in their opening match held at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The defeat was compounded as South Africa finished the game with nine players after two red cards were issued.

Sifiso Setole received the first red card in the 49th minute, followed by Themba Zwane’s dismissal in the 83rd minute.

In his post-match comments, Broos expressed disappointment over the officiating, stating, “I don’t think we need to discuss the first red card, but regarding the second one, I believe the Mexican player fouled our player. Such things happen, yet the referee made a different decision. It’s unfortunate to end the match with only nine players.”.

Broos also noted that he felt his team performed well during portions of the game, adding, “At times, Mexico looked desperate and struggled to find space; everything was going well for us.”.

He concluded by emphasizing an area for improvement: “The only thing we need to enhance for our next match is ball possession. Our performance today was not satisfactory in that regard, so we must work on it.”.