'From people you played with, you don't expect those people to say such negative stuff,' said the Bafana goalkeeper.
South Africa goalkeeper Ricardo Goss has hit back at Bafana’s critics. Picture: YURI CORTEZ / AFP
Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Ricardo Goss has hit back at the critics who slammed South Africa’s performance in their opening Group A match of the 2026 Fifa World Cup against Mexico.
Bafana under fire
Hugo Broos’ side have come under fire from all sides after that 2-0 defeat at the Azteca Stadium, not so much for the result, but for the limp display that saw Bafana barely register a shot at the Mexican goal.
“It’s just disappointing … people that have been in the game, the comments they give,” Goss told reporters.
“From people you played with, you don’t expect those people to say such negative stuff.”
The Siwelele goalkeeper believes the criticism could be coming from jealousy at the current Bafana squad. South Africa are playing in their first World Cup finals in 16 years.
“It is everyone’s dream to play in the World Cup, and maybe they also wanted to be here,” he added.
Goss believes Bafana can channel the spirit of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations when they take on Czechia on Thursday in their second Group A match.
Bafana lost the opening match of AFCON 2023 to Mali but bounced back to hammer Namibia 4-0 and ended up winning the bronze medal.
Goss – ‘We are a positive bunch’
“We are a positive bunch,” said Goss.
“Going back to AFCON we lost 2-0 in our first match and went on to get the bronze medal. It is something we can draw on and implement in this World Cup. They are two different tournaments and the quality is not the same, but if we can get that mentality we had going into the Namibia game, we can get out of the group.”
