Hugo Broos ended his five-year tenure as South Africa coach on Friday, leaving behind a national team that is more competitive, better supported and in a stronger position than the one he inherited in 2021.
The Belgian’s outspoken approach often caused friction, but his willingness to confront what he saw as failures in South African football helped define his time in charge. He criticised the country’s development structures, questioned the standard of players being produced and argued that too few were capable of competing in Europe.
Broos was largely right in his assessment that Bafana Bafana and several of its players were below the level required in international football when he arrived. The team lacked consistency and public interest had fallen sharply, with matches being played in front of largely empty stadiums.
However, the 74-year-old was also capable of making decisions that frustrated supporters. His continued selection of Nyiko Mobbie, while overlooking players such as Thembinkosi Lorch, Gift Links and, more recently, Grant Kekana, was among the choices that attracted criticism.
He also took Tylon Smith and Shandre Campbell to the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco to give them tournament experience, but neither was included in the 2026 FIFA World Cup squad.
Broos could, though, acknowledge his mistakes. He changed his position on Themba Zwane after initially deciding that the midfielder was too old to play international football.
His comments sometimes prompted accusations of racial bias, but Broos remained committed to his approach and did not shy away from controversy. He was popularly known as “Madala”, and his methods were apparent from his first press conferences, when he criticised both the South African Football Association (Safa) and the Premier Soccer League (PSL).
He attacked Safa over what he described as the shambolic condition of the junior national teams and criticised the PSL for failing to organise a meeting with coaches.
In 2022, Mamelodi Sundowns senior coach Steve Komphela called Broos disrespectful after the Belgian said South Africa did not have players capable of competing at the highest level.
Broos also publicly rebuked his own players for what he considered unprofessional conduct. He criticised the late Jayden Adams and Mbekezeli Mbokazi for arriving late at camp, while his strongly worded comments about Mbokazi and agent Basia Michaels eventually led to an apology. The UDM accused him of racism and sexism.
Kaizer Chiefs supporters were often unhappy with him as well, particularly because he regularly left out their players and said they had not done enough to justify selection for the national team.
Even in the final stages of his reign, Broos remained defiant when Bafana were criticised for their poor display in their opening World Cup match against Mexico.
Rebuilding belief in Bafana
Working alongside trusted assistant coach Helman Mkhalele and the wider technical team, Broos gradually restored credibility to the national side.
Bafana qualified for successive Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. They finished second behind Morocco in their qualifying group for the tournament in Cote d’Ivoire, where they won a bronze medal, before topping their group to reach the finals in Morocco, where they progressed to the last 16.
Late last year, South Africa defeated Rwanda at a packed Mbombela Stadium to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They then travelled to the United States, Mexico and Canada with the historic objective of reaching the knockout stages.
Those achievements helped revive public support for a side that had once again become competitive on the continent.
A major part of Broos’s success was his decision to rely on a settled core. That group included goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams, Khuliso Mudau, Aubrey Modiba, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Sphephelo Sithole, Thalente Mbatha, Teboho Mokoena, Lyle Foster, Evidence Makgopa and, more recently, Mbokazi and Relebohile Mofokeng.
Several players who featured in his early squads eventually moved out of the picture. They included Bruce Bvuma, Rivaldo Coetzee, Mosa Lebusa, Innocent Maela, Kegan Dolly, Sipho Mbule, Goodman Mosele, Ethan Brooks, Thabang Monare, Bongokuhle Hlongwane and Percy Tau.
Broos said farewell to Bafana at Safa House on Friday before returning to Belgium. His most significant achievement is that he leaves the national team in considerably better health than he found it.
The next coach will inherit an experienced group containing Williams, Mudau, Modiba, Sibisi, Mokoena, Sphephelo Sithole, Thalente Mbatha, Oswin Appollis, Foster and Makgopa.
There is also a promising collection of younger players, including Mbokazi, Ime Okon, Tylon Smith, Olwethu Makhanya, Khulumane Ndamane, Thapelo Maseko, Tshepang Moremi, Mohau Nkota and Shandre Campbell.
The senior players are likely to be approaching their final major tournament at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. However, they have already gained enough international experience to provide genuine hope for the future.
When asked whether he had advice for his successor, Broos declined to comment and said the incoming coach should be allowed the freedom to choose his own team.
There was a desire in some quarters for him to remain, but his departure may have come at the right time. After five years of intense scrutiny, Broos has chosen to leave while Bafana are competitive and supported again.
I have had countless encounters with Broos, including a one-on-one interview before the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, and he cared deeply about South Africa and its people.
His departure is a sad moment because he transformed Bafana into a serious international side, leaving the next coach with a difficult act to follow.
As Broos left the press conference room at Safa House for the final time, Frank Sinatra’s “I Did It My Way” would have been an appropriate farewell.
Because, love him or hate him, Hugo Broos unquestionably did it his way and has left an indelible mark on South African football.
