Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos seems to have reconsidered his plans to retire after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Belgian coach has been with the South African men’s national soccer team for over five years.
He had previously indicated that he would step down after this year’s World Cup. However, while speaking to the media ahead of Bafana’s friendly match against Panama, Broos admitted that he was now undecided about whether he would leave after the tournament.
“You know, maybe it was not a good idea for me to tell that after the World Cup I should stop my career as a coach,” said the Bafana coach.
“And I said also at that moment that, okay, I can talk now and say it will be like that till the moment, I have to decide.”
Hugo Broos open to coaching Bafana beyond World Cup
Broos said he would be open to coaching Bafana beyond the World Cup but will make a final decision closer to the tournament or even after.
“So, let’s wait and see what will happen in three, four months. At the other side, for me, if I should stop, I would stop in beauty. It has to be a beautiful end for me.
“And that means that we have to perform good in the World Cup. So, I will work as hard as I worked already the past five years to have a team on the World Cup that have good results.
“So, there is still a lot of work to do. And I don’t have the time to think of, yeah, will I go or will I stay?”
Broos became the first coach to take Bafana Bafana to a World Cup since Carlos Queiroz in 2002. The Portuguese coach did not get the opportunity to coach South Africa at the tournament, as he had been first months earlier.