South Africa coach Hugo Broos has told critics of his tactics in last week's World Cup opener to 'shut up' and insisted he will continue to do things his way as his team prepares for their Group A clash against Czechia.

There was an outcry in South Africa when Broos adopted a rare defensive approach in the tournament's opening match against Mexico last Thursday, which his team lost 2-0 without creating any genuine chances. Bafana Bafana also finished with nine men after two second-half red cards.

'I've been a coach for 40 years, and I know it's part of the job that you will be criticised. So for the moment, I'm criticised, but people have to know... I do it my way,' Broos said at a news conference on Wednesday.

'I never listen to the trash of social media. I never listen to people who feel they are important enough to criticise the team. When I look back at what they achieved before, I think it should be better that they shut up,' he said in a reference to former player pundits.

The veteran Belgian coach said it was imperative for South Africa to win on Thursday in Atlanta to stand any chance of advancing. The Czechs also lost their first Group A game to South Korea last week.

'Our situation is clear. If we don't win tomorrow, we play our last game against South Korea for nothing. We know the mistakes we made in the first game, and we will try to improve that tomorrow,' Broos added, hinting at a possible tactical shift.

Source: www.aljazeera.com