Bafana Bafana have been in this situation before, with doubts over their heads after they lost the first match of a major tournament, but attacker Thapelo Maseko says they have the experience to turn it around. Bafana started the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in the Ivory Coast with a 2-0 loss to Mali in Korhogo, but coach Hugo Broos galvanised the team and they went on to walk away with the bronze medal. Maseko, who was one of the younger players in the squad at that time, finds himself in a similar situation here at the 2026 Fifa World Cup and says it’s too early to write the South Africans off. Broos received heavy criticism for the unconvinciing display after he chose a defensive starting XI in Bafana’s 2-0 defeat to co-hosts Mexico at Estadio Azteca on Thursday. South Africa are under pressure to get a positive result from their next Group A match against Czechia at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday (6pm, SA Time). “We have big players here with heart and if there is anyone out there doubting this team, they better think again,” he said at the team’s hotel. “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.” Maseko was on the bench for the opening defeat in Mexico City but he may have a lot to say for Bafana in the next two matches against Czechia and South Korea if coach Hugo Broos makes changes to the team. “One thing we must improve on is the intensity; we need to run extra hard,” the winger said. “It is something we spoke about as a team, we were not happy with the result against Mexico but we want to improve going forward.“It is a big tournament with big teams but we must go out there and showcase our talents.” Maseko, who revived his career at Cyprus League side AEL Limassol, where he is on loan from Mamelodi Sundowns, is making a return to the senior national team after missing out on the last Afcon in Morocco earlier this year. He said South Africans express themselves strongly when they are unhappy with the team and all the players always want to make the nation happy. “We don’t want to let the people of South Africa down. They are happy when we win but when you lose you are the worst.” The next match against Czechia is in the US, where temperatures have been higher than in Mexico City and Bafana’s training base in Pachuca, 95km from the capital. However, Atlanta Stadium has a retractable roof, which has been closed for midday World Cup fixtures.Bafana’s clash with Czechia is at noon, Atlanta time. Still, the South Africans will experience the heat in the southern US city at training, where temperatures this week have hovered between 27°C and 31°C. “I haven’t really experienced the heat in the US but the [Sundowns] guys that were there during the club World Cup said it is extreme, even for us Africans,” Maseko said. All the World Cup fixtures hereWorld Cup page hereAll the group profiles hereStar player profiles hereBafana news hereTimesLIVE