End of an Era: Hugo Broos’ five-year journey as Bafana Bafana coach comes to an end

The Belgian mentor will not extend his stay with Bafana Bafana and is expected to return home to Belgium to spend quality time with his family, bringing the curtain down on one of the most successful coaching spells in South Africa’s football history. 

The longest serving Bafana Bafana coach took charge of the national team in May 2021 at a time when confidence in the national team was at an all-time low. However, over the next five years, Hugo Broos rebuilt the squad with a clear vision, placing his faith in young talent while creating a disciplined and competitive team.

Among the 74-year-old’s achievement’s was guiding Bafana Bafana to a third-place finish at the 2023 AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire, he also helped secure qualification for the 2025 AFCON tournament in Morocco, and most significantly, Broos led Bafana Bafana back to the FIFA World Cup for the first time in sixteen years and guided the team to the knockout phase of the competition for the very first time in history.

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Last week, SABC Sport reported that Broos had been offered a one-year contract extension that would’ve kept him at the wheel through to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. However, despite those reports it has now become clear that the Belgian tactician will not continue his work in South Africa.

Broos has previously indicated that family considerations would play a major role in his decision, having spent long periods away from home trying to rebuild Bafana Bafana. 

Beyond some of the impressive results, Broos restored belief in the national team, re-established South Africa as a competitive force on the continent and the globe. Now the onus is on the SAFA to appoint a suitable successor before Bafana Bafana engage in AFCON qualifiers in September.