Hugo Broos draws on his experience as a World Cup player to decide on Bafana’s Mexican base

The anticipation surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup is intensifying, and Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos, has voiced his enthusiasm over the team’s decision to establish its base camp in Pachuca, Mexico.

Underlining the strategic advantages of this choice, Broos believes that training at the prestigious Universidad del Futbol will be instrumental in preparing the team for the global stage.

Located just a few kilometres from the charming city centre, the Camino Real Pachuca hotel will also provide comfortable accommodation for the players and coaching staff, allowing them to focus on their training regimen without the distractions of city life.

Broos emphasised the importance of a serene environment for athletes preparing for a fiercely competitive tournament. Broos was in Mexico on Wednesday to run the rule over what was on offer in Pachuca, Mexico.

“So once Fifa had done the group draw, I knew that the game against Mexico should be a special game for us. Not because it’s Mexico, but because we had to play that game at high altitude.

"In 1986, I was here with the Belgian national team as a player (at the World Cup). So I knew (I had the experience) that we needed a high-altitude camp before we played Mexico.

“So I met the people from Pachuca already in Washington. They proposed the location here, and I said to them, “Okay, we will see in the next few weeks what we are going to do and what the best options are, and we will let you know.”

“There were a few other options, but one thing was very important for me, the fact that we should be already in Mexico and start the high altitude camp and not have to do a trip again from, I don’t know where, to come here in Mexico a few days before the game.

“So we took contact again with Pachuca. One thing was very important: the distance from Mexico City to Pachuca is just 85 kilometres. That is nothing, but I also wanted to see the facilities, because they have to be good.

“So that’s why yesterday (Wednesday) we had the visit to the location here in the university. I’m very pleased with the facilities, with the two nice pitches where we can train, the fitness room, the hospital, everything that we need to have a very good preparation.”