Netherlands legend Ruud Gullit highly praised the historic performance of Bafana Bafana at the World Cup, noting that improved physical fitness and defensive structure in smaller nations make international football more challenging for established giants like France and Spain.
Although the Bafana Bafana team reached the World Cup playoffs for the first time in its history, they were ultimately eliminated in the Round of 32 after facing co-host Canada. The future of South African football remains very promising even after head coach Hugo Broos departed following a five-year period of transformation.
Gullit, who played for the Netherlands 66 times between 1981 and 1994, emphasized that performances like this are clear evidence of the rapidly growing quality of world football.
He told ComeOn: 'Countries like South Africa have closed the gap with France and Spain in many aspects, and international football will become even harder for big, established teams in the future.'
Gullit specified that the basic philosophy of the game has remained unchanged, but the intensity of modern football has sharply increased. He noted that regardless of the tactical scheme (be it 4-4-2, 4-3-3, or 4-2-3-1), the tactical fundamentals remain the same. However, the pace and pressure on the field have significantly changed.
In Gullit's opinion, football has become much harder due to the increased intensity and exceptional physical condition of modern players. Defenses have become much harder to break down because every athlete is strong, organized, and capable of controlling the ball. This was evident at the World Cup; so-called small nations are incredibly difficult to defeat because each team can run, and every squad executes basic elements flawlessly. Although tactical principles remain, the overall standard of world football has risen everywhere.