SOUTH Africa have been urged to maintain the attacking style that secured a historic place in the World Cup knockout stage, with former international Siyabonga Nomvethe warning against unnecessary tactical changes ahead of the round-of-32 clash with Canada.
Bafana Bafana booked their place in the knockout rounds for the first time after defeating South Korea 1-0 at Monterrey Stadium, ending previous group-stage exits in 1998, 2002 and the 2010 World Cup on home soil.
The victory also eased mounting pressure on head coach Hugo Broos, who had come under heavy criticism following South Africa's 2-0 defeat to Mexico in their opening Group L match.
Broos abandoned the five-man defensive system that had drawn widespread criticism from supporters and reverted to his more familiar 4-2-3-1 formation against South Korea, a tactical adjustment that proved decisive.
Nomvethe, who represented South Africa at the 2002 and 2010 World Cups, praised the coach's willingness to change approach and credited the team's attacking intent for breaking down South Korea's defence.
"I think the coach changed the tactical approach. We also have plenty of options in attack. Many people thought we would be afraid of facing South Korea, but we managed to break through their defence and played to our own strengths.
"As we prepare to face Canada, the team should not change its approach or game plan. We must continue to work hard, knowing that nothing is guaranteed.
"Yes, we have beaten an opponent that many considered stronger than Canada, but we still need to respect them. We simply need to continue what we did against South Korea, and that could give us the advantage to win by at least 2-0," he said.
Although Canada are expected to enjoy overwhelming support in the stands, South Africa enter the knockout encounter buoyed by a performance built on pace, creativity and relentless pressing.
Against South Korea, Relebohile Mofokeng was at the heart of South Africa's attacking play, with Maseko and Oswin Appollis providing pace and direct running from wide areas to stretch the opposition defence.
Nomvethe believes those qualities should remain central to Broos' game plan.
"When we have intelligent forwards, it is important to commit more players in attack. I am sure the coach now realises that what works best for us is pressing high and using our pace.
"We also need to move the ball quickly, and I think that has helped us enormously because we do not play at a slow tempo. That is extremely important," he said.
South Africa will seek to extend their historic World Cup run when they face Canada in the round of 32, with Broos expected to rely on the same aggressive, high-energy approach that carried Bafana Bafana into the knockout stage for the first time. - June 28, 2026
