Bruce attacks the umpire after the South African duo are sent off

Belgium’s Hugo Brose, the coach of the South African national team, criticized the quality of refereeing after the 2-0 defeat by Mexico in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup.

Bafana Bafana suffered from a numerical disadvantage when their players Yaya Sitole and Themba Zwane were sent off in the 49th and 84th minutes.

ESPN published Bruce’s statements at the press conference, where he said: “The first red card should be accepted. The opponent’s player was alone in the goal and Sitole fouled him, so I can understand that.”

He added: “But we can discuss the case of the second dismissal, I don’t think it’s a red card.”

He continued: “It is not good for two players to get a red card in the first match of the World Cup. Now we have two players who will not participate in the next match.”

He emphasized: “But we still have a lot of players, and if we show the same mentality and play in the same way, I am sure that we will achieve good results in the next two matches.”

He explained. “We have 7 days to recover. These players are professionals, so I don’t think there is a problem.”

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