Bafana Bafana’s World Cup dream ended in the cruellest possible fashion, a stoppage-time Stephen Eustaquio strike sealing a 1-0 defeat to Canada in the Round of 32. But however this chapter closes for Hugo Broos, the manner of the exit should not overshadow what the 74-year-old Belgian has built.
When Broos arrived in May 2021, he inherited a side ranked 75th in the world, reeling from South Africa’s failed attempt to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations. The team lacked direction and belief on the international stage.
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What followed was a steady, deliberate rebuild. Broos restored structure and accountability, blooded a new generation of players and slowly rebuilt South Africa’s standing in world football, climbing into the 50s in the FIFA rankings.
The bronze medal at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations was South Africa’s best finish at the tournament in 24 years, a clear marker that the project was working.
The crowning achievement came when Broos guided South Africa to World Cup qualification for the first time in 16 years. He then went a step further than anyone could have reasonably expected, leading Bafana Bafana out of the group stage entirely and securing South Africa’s first-ever appearance in a World Cup knockout match.
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Broos had long planned for this tournament to be his final act before retirement, but he has recently suggested he may not be ready to walk away from South African football completely, hinting at the possibility of a different, less demanding role within the structures he helped rebuild.
Whatever comes next, what Broos leaves behind speaks for itself. He arrived to a team with no real status in world football and leaves one that has tasted a return continental competition and a historic World Cup moment.
Photo: Reuters/Kiyoshi Mio
