Watch VideoHugo Broos orders Bafana Bafana to silence 85,000 Mexicans in Fifa World Cup opener

Drawing on his own playing memories from the 1986 tournament, Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos warns his side to block out the Mexican wall of sound in their crucial World Cup opener. Bafana Bafanahead coachHugo Brooshas challenged his players to completely block out an expected wall of sound on Thursday when they take on co-hosts Mexico in their high-stakesFifa World Cupopener. Broos, 74, will be making an emotional personal return to the iconic Estadio Azteca when he leads Bafana Bafana into their daunting Group A assignment in Mexico City.

The former Belgium international experienced the deafening cauldron of the Azteca first-hand during the 1986 finals in Mexico, where he lined up in the Red Devils’ opening match against the tournament hosts. The veteran tactician is bracing for more of the same on Thursday in a clash that he regards as absolutely pivotal to South Africa’s chances of advancing beyond the group stage. “There will be a massive crowd and there will not be so much South African support,” Broos admitted.

“So that is a big help for them. They will have 85,000 Mexicans shouting and singing. But we have to focus entirely on our game.

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If we can do that — if we are not too heavily influenced by the noise of 85,000 Mexicans — then we can have a good game.” Broos firmly believes that Mexico represent the team to beat in Group A. “I think they’ve won nearly all of their last 10 games,” Broos said ofEl Tri. “So they’ll be a team playing with immense confidence.

They’re the best team in the group. Tomorrow will be a very tough game. We need to be at our absolute best level, but I can assure you our team is ready to fight for every metre and every ball.” Broos, meanwhile, admitted he is no fan of the newly expanded 48-team World Cup format, citing the grueling travel schedule his squad faces, which includes subsequent matches in Atlanta and Monterrey.

“It’s a bit too big when you play with 48 countries,” he said. “Forty years ago it was a World Cup in Mexico, but now it is modern times and we have to adapt. It’s far more exhausting than the previous World Cups when you were playing with fewer countries, but we have to accept it.” Opposing manager Javier Aguirre, however, faces a different challenge.

Mexico have played in seven World Cup opening matches throughout their history but have never emerged victorious — a record Aguirre is determined to shatter. “We have to break that statistic,” Aguirre said at his pre-match press conference. “I actually didn’t know that fact; I’m going to share it with the players. It will be another brilliant source of motivation for us.” On Thursday, Aguirre will relive the rare magic of experiencing a World Cup on home soil, exactly 40 years after doing so as a combative midfielder in 1986.

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