It’s official, Hugo Broos will not continue as Bafana Bafana coach. The 74-year-old Belgian was at the helm of the South African football team for the last five years.
He made the announcement in Johannesburg on the day his contract with the South African Football Association (SAFA) comes to an end.
Broos says being away from his family for long periods of time was the only reason for him not agreeing to a contract extension.
“The lonely moments being away from my family made me reach this decision today and that is the only reason why I leave Bafana. I leave fantastic people I worked with for five years; I got extreme support and gratitude not only from the people I worked with but nearly for all South Africans,” says Broos.
Broos transformed the national team into an African powerhouse. Under his guidance, Bafana Bafana finished third at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast and qualified for a FIFA World Cup.
Bafana also reached the knockout stage of a World Cup for the first time ever at the recent tournament in the Americas.
SAFA President Danny Jordaan thanked Broos for his service and contribution to the national team. He says the coach played an important role in South Africa’s World Cup journey and expressed the association’s gratitude for his dedication and achievements during his time in charge.
“Today we bid farewell to coach. We are happy and we want to thank him for his contribution to the team that he has built. Many of the players that did not register as national team players are now established national team players. Many of them unknown when we started but you had the foresight, you had the vision, determination to select all of them, to change in the period, and ultimately, we have established a very, very good team,” says Broos.
In a tenure spanning 60 internationals, Bafana won 29, drew 19 and lost 12 matches with Broos on the coach’s bench.
SAFA’s National Executive meets next Saturday when the appointment of a new coach will be top of the agenda.
