South Africa Seeks to Silence Critics Against Czech Republic

South Africa's World Cup campaign has hit an early snag with a 2-0 defeat against co-hosts Mexico, a result that drew significant criticism back home. Winger Thapelo Maseko acknowledged the team's performance was below par, especially as they finished the match with nine men after two red cards. The loss contrasted sharply with the strong opening performances of other African nations like Morocco, Ivory Coast, Cape Verde, and Egypt.

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Something that I've picked up is that South Africans are happy when you win, but when you lose, you are the worst. That is a fact.

Maseko is urging his teammates to find inspiration in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations journey. In that tournament, South Africa suffered a 2-0 loss in their opening game against Mali but rallied to secure a bronze medal, losing narrowly to Nigeria in the semi-finals. "Something that I've picked up is that South Africans are happy when you win, but when you lose, you are the worst. That is a fact," Maseko told reporters, highlighting the intense pressure from fans.

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We have big players with heart and if there is anyone out there doubting this team, they better think again.

Looking ahead to the match against the Czech Republic in Atlanta, Maseko stressed the need for increased intensity and effort. "One thing we must improve on is the intensity, we need to run extra hard. It is something we spoke about as a team," he stated. He believes South Africa possesses "big players with heart" and that doubters should reconsider their opinions. The team also faces South Korea in their final group fixture.

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We went to Afcon in 2023 and lost the first game. But we were able to pick ourselves up and came back home with the bronze medal.