Hugo Broos confirms plans to retire after 2026 FIFA World Cup
The Bafana Bafana coach plans to spend more time with his family after his retirement
Katlego Sekhu
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has announced that he will retire after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Speaking after South Africa’s historic qualification for the tournament with a 3–0 victory over Rwanda, the 73-year-old confirmed that he plans to step away from coaching to spend more time with his family.
Broos described the decision as deeply personal, saying that ending his coaching career at the World Cup feels like the perfect conclusion to his decades-long journey in football.
“This is really a fantastic evening for everyone,” Broos said. “I hoped, maybe even more than every player, that we would go to America. For me, it’s sentimental. I was already at a World Cup as a player at the end of my career, and now I do it again as a coach.
“I think this is the right moment—after the World Cup next year—to stop my career, go to my family, and enjoy the next 20 years with my grandchildren and my children. But first of all, there is still some work to do, and we will try to do it well. Thank you.”
Broos, who took charge of Bafana Bafana in 2021, has been widely credited with rebuilding the national team and guiding them back to the global stage after a 16-year absence from the World Cup.
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