South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has expressed concern over the demanding travel schedule facing teams at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, describing the constant movement between cities, countries and time zones as one of the tournament’s biggest challenges.
Bafana Bafana opened their Group A campaign against Mexico in Mexico City before travelling to Atlanta for their second match against Czechia. Bafana now face another journey to Guadalupe, where they will take on South Korea in their final group-stage fixture.
Speaking ahead of the decisive clash, Broos admitted that the logistical demands of the tournament are taking a toll on players and staff alike.
“You know, it’s very exhausting when you see that you have to travel all the time,” said Broos. “There is a difference in time zones as well. We played in Mexico City, then one week later we were in Atlanta, and now we’re in Monterrey before travelling again.”
The veteran Belgian coach believes the challenge extends beyond simply getting from one venue to another. According to Broos, the combination of travel, time-zone adjustments and extreme weather conditions can significantly impact player recovery.
“If you are moving between different countries and different time zones, it is certainly not ideal, especially for recovery,” he explained. “Then you play in very hot temperatures, which takes a lot of energy out of the players.”
Broos warned that the situation could become even more demanding should South Africa progress to the knockout stages, with further long-distance travel potentially awaiting teams across North America.
“The deeper you go into the tournament, the more difficult recovery becomes because you are constantly travelling. But this is the World Cup, this is the format, and we have to adapt,” he said.
Despite the challenges, Bafana remain focused on securing a positive result against South Korea as they look to keep their hopes of advancing to the knockout rounds alive. The match will conclude a group-stage journey that has already taken the South Africans across multiple cities and thousands of kilometres in North America.
While Broos accepts that every nation must deal with the same conditions, he believes the physical and logistical demands of the expanded World Cup are greater than ever before.
“I can tell you that it’s not easy,” he concluded.
Written by: Sandile Ndumo
