Hugo Broos, coach of the South Africa national team, said his side's 1-0 defeat to Canada would be his last appearance at a FIFA World Cup, potentially drawing the curtain on a career spanning more than five decades as a player and coach.
The defeat in Los Angeles, sealed by Stevan Jovetić's goal in the second minute of stoppage time, brought an end to a campaign that had already featured a historic achievement for Broos and his team — reaching the knockout rounds for the first time in South Africa's history.
The Belgian coach, 74, who participated as a player at the 1986 World Cup, said after the match that this edition would be his last at the finals, though he did not confirm whether he would step down from the South Africa job, having spoken repeatedly of his desire to spend more time with his family in Belgium.
He told reporters: "It is not wise to make decisions when you are disappointed."
He added: "I will see in the coming days what I will do in the future, but what is certain is that this is my last World Cup."
Before the Canada match, Broos described the campaign as a successful one for the promising South Africa squad, which still has considerable room to grow.
Since taking charge in 2021, he rebuilt a team that had been absent from the World Cup since 2010, transforming it into a disciplined and competitive unit, guiding it back onto the world stage and into the round of 32. His approach relied primarily on players active in the domestic league.
The African side recovered from a difficult start to the tournament: after a 2-0 opening loss to Mexico — a match that saw two South Africa players sent off — the team drew 1-1 with the Czech Republic before beating South Korea 1-0.
That was South Africa's first progression from the group stage at a World Cup, having failed to do so at their previous appearances in 1998 and 2002, as well as when they hosted the tournament in 2010.