Pachuca perfect: Hugo Broos outlines importance of Mexican World Cup base

The Belgian Bafana mentor guided his team to the World Cup, to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.

South Africa have been drawn in Group A where they will kick off the tournament against co-hosts Mexico.

They then face the winner of a play-off featuring the Czech Republic, Republic of Ireland, Denmark and North Macedonia, before ending their group cmapaign against South Korea.

Broos has experience of Mexico from his time as a player, and is currently in the country scoping out the accomodation and training venue that the head coach said would be vital to a succesful stay.

“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,” he said on IOL.

"In 1986, I was here with the Belgian national team as a player (at the World Cup). So I knew 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.

"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.”