Hugo Broos has revolutionised South African football with Bafana Bafana

Hugo Broos has transformed South African football, leading Bafana Bafana to their first World Cup Round of 32 since 2002, sparking renewed optimism and excitement among fans. Photo: BackpagePix

As heartbreaking as Bafana Bafana's Round of 32 FIFA World Cup 1-0 loss to Canada was, they were never expected to make it this far - and much of their historic run is down to the influence of coach Hugo Broos.

Stephen Eustáquio scored the winner for Canada deep in added time after the 90 minutes were up, as Bafana crashed out of the tournament. Broos and his men no doubt were preparing to go to extra time, until the fateful moment sent them packing.

This World Cup marked the first time Bafana had qualified for the tournament since the 2002 edition, having gained automatic entry as hosts in 2010.The major achievement, therefore, was simply qualifying again for football’s biggest showpiece.

However, once the tournament rolled around, expectations quickly grew.