World Cup 2026: South Africa Star Reveals Broos’ Message That Inspired Dream Debut

South Africa striker Relebohile Mofokeng has opened up on the encouraging words from head coach Hugo Broos that helped calm his nerves ahead of his FIFA World Cup debut.

The young forward earned his first appearance on football’s biggest stage in Bafana Bafana’s 1-1 draw against Czechia on Wednesday and credited Broos’ reassurance for helping him settle into the game.

“This is my first World Cup, my first game, so the coach just told me to be confident and believe in myself. He told me that he believes in me, so I must believe in myself and help the team as much as I possibly can”, Mofokeng was quoted by CAFonline.

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“The game was very difficult because obviously this is the biggest stage in football. So the courage from my coach and teammates helped a lot because I think you need confidence and you need to believe in yourself.”

The 21-year-old revealed that Broos delivered a simple but reassuring message before introducing him into the match, urging him to stay calm, trust his ability, and play his natural game.

“The coach just said I must play, I must be myself and just do my best,” Mofokeng added.

Mofokeng will be targeting a place in the starting lineup for the first time at the tournament when Bafana Bafana take on South Korea in a must-win Group A encounter next Thursday.