Mhlongo: Bafana Bafana must return to their tried-and-tested system to beat Czech Republic

Former Bafana Bafana defender Benson Mhlongo believes South Africa’s best chance of surviving the 2026 World Cup group stage lies in Hugo Broos reverting to the formation that delivered their qualification campaign.

The former Orlando Pirates player insists the 2-0 defeat against Mexico was not a tactical failure but a costly series of individual errors.

Mhlongo, who represented South Africa at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations and enjoyed spells with Mamelodi Sundowns during a distinguished club career, spoke exclusively to Afrik-Foot ahead of Bafana’s must-win Group A clash with the Czech Republic at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Thursday, June 18.

“I think we need to go back to our normal system,” Mhlongo said. “We need to have a trained midfielder and be solid at the back. Use Modiba and the boy on the right to allow the full-backs to push forward as wingers — go back to the original formation that served us so well at AFCON and through qualifying. That is the only way we can win the game.”

Broos surprised many observers at the Azteca by deploying an unfamiliar back three against Mexico, a decision that contributed to a chaotic defensive display that ended with Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane both receiving red cards as South Africa were reduced to nine men before the final whistle.

Both players will miss the Czech Republic fixture through suspension.

Why Bafana Bafana lost 2 goals to Mexico – Mhlongo

Mhlongo, however, was reluctant to place the blame entirely on the tactical setup.

“The formation was not an issue,” he said. “We gave away goals — they did not work for those goals. We just gave away goals and we did not change things in the second half by putting on more attacking players. That cost us.”

The 44-year-old, who made over 100 appearances for Orlando Pirates during his career, also expressed faith in the squad’s ability to respond. Despite the scale of the defeat in Mexico City and the disciplinary complications now facing Broos, Mhlongo believes the tournament is far from over for Bafana Bafana.

“Yes — I believe they can win their next game, and then we take it from there.”

South Africa go into their fixture against the Czech Republic knowing that a win would keep their World Cup 2026 campaign alive ahead of the final group game against South Korea on June 25.

Czech Republic, which also lost their opening match 2-1 to South Korea, arrive in Atlanta with identical urgency. One result, in many ways, could define both nations’ entire tournament.

🇿🇦 Next match loading… ⌛️
⚽ Czechia vs Bafana Bafana
📅 Thursday, 18 June 2026
​🏟️ Atlanta Stadium, Georgia
🕕 Kick-off: 18:00 (SA Time)#BafanaPride#BafanaBafana#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/2YXE8YDhaC

— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) June 14, 2026

Kick-off at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium is at 18:00 SAST, and here is our livestream guide for the game.