Egypt legend Mohamed Aboutrika has levelled a sharp charge at South Africa head coach Hugo Broos, claiming the veteran tactician let fear dictate his approach in Bafana Bafana's 2-0 defeat to hosts Mexico in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group A opener.

The match, played on Thursday at the Estadio Azteca, was marked by three red cards — two shown to South Africa and one to Mexico — adding further chaos to an already difficult evening for the African side.

Aboutrika's verdict on Broos

Speaking to beIN Sports after the final whistle, the former Egypt star was unsparing in his criticism. "He's afraid of the game. It's the first match, so he's scared. He went too defensive and right from the lineup, I knew he would lose. I put the blame on the coach. A disastrous match," Aboutrika said.

He also expressed disappointment from a broader African perspective. "I am shocked as an African because this team deserves to play much better with the qualities they have. Mexico isn't that special," he added.

Aboutrika directed his frustration squarely at Broos, arguing that the starting eleven selected for such a significant occasion was far from optimal and set the tone for the loss.

The road ahead for South Africa

With their World Cup campaign off to a damaging start, South Africa must now regroup ahead of their remaining Group A fixtures against Czech Republic and South Korea. A run of positive results in those two matches represents their only realistic path to the knockout stage.

Elsewhere in Group A, South Korea made a confident statement on opening day, defeating Czech Republic 2-1 to take an early lead at the top of the standings.