Several high-profile candidates, including local icon Pitso Mosimane, have officially applied to succeed Hugo Broos as Bafana Bafana head coach following the confirmation of the Belgian’s departure, a South African Football Association (SAFA) official told AFP on Friday.
“Hugo may continue to work with the national team, but in a different capacity,” said the insider, who requested anonymity as he is not an official spokesperson. “There have been numerous applications for the post of national coach and Pitso Mosimane is among them.”
Broos told Belgian magazine Humo: “I have already had a conversation with the chairman of the South African football federation [Danny Jordaan]. He would like to keep me, but in a different role, as an advisor or something like that. I am returning at the end of July to say my final goodbyes.
“I am curious to see what Jordaan will propose. My wife is happy that I am quitting, but she has also already warned me: ‘Just make sure you do not get in my way’. Suppose I have to be in South Africa for a few weeks every two months — why not? Better that than walking around at home being a nuisance because I have nothing to do.”
Broos confirmed to the Belgian media this week that he was standing by a decision made several months ago to retire once South Africa’s campaign at the 2026 World Cup concluded.
After finishing as runners-up to co-hosts Mexico in Group A and successfully navigating their way to the knockout stage for the first time in history, South Africa were ultimately eliminated by Canada in the round of 32.
In an AFP interview ahead of the global showpiece across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Broos explained that he wanted to spend more time with his wife, children, and grandchildren.
“I am 74 years old, I cannot continue to spend every day of every week concentrating solely on football,” he said.
Broos has been widely credited with completely transforming Bafana Bafana from an underachieving team that once attracted just 200 spectators to a game into a national asset watched by a capacity 50,000 crowd in Cape Town last March.
Apart from creating modern World Cup history, the veteran tactician also guided South Africa to a bronze medal at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in the Ivory Coast — their best continental finish since the 2000 edition.
The inclusion of Mosimane on the shortlist will inevitably ignite massive fan excitement across the country. The 61-year-old former South Africa forward coached the national side for two years from 2010, before being dramatically fired at midnight following a home draw with Ethiopia in a 2014 World Cup qualifier.
Mosimane subsequently rebuilt his legacy during an iconic eight-season stint at Mamelodi Sundowns, turning the Pretoria club into the undisputed powerhouses of domestic football at the expense of traditional giants Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs. His crowning achievement with the Brazilians was capturing the CAF Champions League title in 2016.
He then shattered historical barriers in 2020 by becoming the first sub-Saharan African to coach Egyptian titans Al Ahly, steering the Cairo outfit to three consecutive Champions League finals and winning two. The serial winner has since coached extensively in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran.
Whoever inherits the post from SAFA will face an immediate examination, with critical 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at home to Guinea and away to Eritrea scheduled for September and October.
