It will be a pity when Broos quits coaching, possibly after the World Cup.
When Hugo Broos was appointed as Bafana Bafana head coach in May 2021, there was a fair amount of scepticism in the air.
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One of Bafana’s favourite sons – Benni McCarthy – had been widely reported to be on the brink of getting the job. And there was not quite as much love when it emerged that an (at the time) 69 year-old Belgian was the man chosen instead by the South African Football Association.
Broos better than Benni?
It is a mark of how well Broos has done that it is now not completely beyond reason to make comparisons between the impact the country’s all-time leading goalscorer and Broos have had on the national team.
In guiding South Africa to the 2026 Fifa World Cup finals, Broos has achieved what looked unthinkable in 2021.
Bafana were going nowhere fast, and had sacked Molefi Ntseki after failing to qualify for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
Broos had done well with Cameroon, winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 2017, but that was the Indomitable Lions. Could he really do the same with Bafana, who just did not seem to any longer have the players capable of competing in the continental game?
The Belgian was refreshingly honest from the start of his reign. He immediately set his sights on getting the team to the 2026 Fifa World Cup and said he would walk away from the job if he could not qualify Bafana for the next Afcon.
He was not foolish enough to commit to turning Bafana’s fortunes around in time to make it to Qatar 2022. Having said that, the signs were good as Bafana almost made it to the final qualifying round, denied only by a controversial penalty in a 1-0 defeat in Ghana.
Trust in local football
One of Broos’ key attributes has been his willingness to trust his South African coaching staff, as well as players from the Premier Soccer League. Broos has forged a brilliant relationship with assistant coach Helman Mkhalele, who he has spoken of with genuine fondness whenever asked.
The Belgian also quickly saw that the best team in South Africa was Sundowns and that their experience in continental club competitions would help Bafana. As one example, seven of the 11 players who started Bafana’s famous AFfcon 2023 last 16 win over Morocco were Sundowns players.
When you have a set of players who know how to play with each other on the continent, why upset the apple cart? Broos also showed a refreshing willingness to change his mind. Having initially pronounced Themba Zwane as too old to play for Bafana, he quickly realised that Zwane’s genius did not rely on age.
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After initially not seeing Khuliso Mudau as the right fit for his side, Broos was happy to accept the error of his ways and Mudau is now a Bafana regular.
Fair treatment
There is no room too with Broos for favouritism just because a player is from an overseas club. His handling of Lyle Foster, for example, has been exemplary. Foster missed the Africa Cup of Nations after having to take time off at Burnley because of mental issues.
Broos brought Foster back when he was ready to return, but he had to fight his way back into the team, like any other player would have. It is clear that Bafana’s players trust Broos immensely. And this, at its root, surely stems from the fact that they know if they perform well at their club and in training, they will get their chance. There is no favouritism.
From this, Broos has been able to forge a team spirit that has carried Bafana all the way to the World Cup finals. If you look at the squads of Nigeria and Bafana, the Super Eagles are packed with world class talent, playing all over the top leagues in Europe.
Bafana’s starting XI against Rwanda on Tuesday was made up entirely of PSL players. But it is Bafana who look more of a team, willing to die for each other on the field of play. If Bafana can carry this spirit into the World Cup, why should they not surpass expectations there too?
No one gave them much of a chance at the Afcon finals and they finished third, only losing to Nigeria in the semifinals in a penalty shootout. Broos has said that he will quit coaching after the World Cup – it will be a pity because this is a man who, even at 73, clearly still has plenty to offer.
