Hugo Broos becomes emotional as former Bafana Bafana coach bids farewell

Former Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos was overcome with emotion as he reflected on his five-year spell in charge of South Africa during his farewell press conference at Safa House on Friday.

Broos, known for his direct and uncompromising manner, spoke warmly about the people he had met and the relationships he had built during his time in the country.

The Belgian played a key role in reviving the fortunes of the senior national team, helping Bafana Bafana move from a side regarded as having little chance of success to one that qualified for successive Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) tournaments.

He also guided South Africa to the historic achievement of reaching the knockout stages of the 2026 Fifa World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

“What I take away is that in South Africa there are many wonderful people and I get emotional when I think about that,” Broos said, his voice full of emotion, while praising what he described as the humility of Africans.

He recalled how working in Africa had taught him to adapt to a different approach to time and organisation, although he admitted that the adjustment had initially been difficult.

“Africans can create a situation that will make you angry in the moment but a few moments later it’s done and dusted. I will tell you a story about the first meeting with my staff in Cameroon.

“We agreed for a meeting at 10am and we were already sitting in the room ten minutes before but we were still alone at 10am.

“We were still alone at 10.30am and ultimately someone came through the door at 11.15am. Ultimately, everyone was in the room after 11am and I started the meeting shouting.

“While I was shouting, one guy lifted his hand and said, ‘coach why are you angry because everybody is here?’ and he laughed.

“It was an interesting moment because there I was angry and he was calm.”

Broos said experiences such as that one had helped him understand the way of doing things on the continent after many years of working in Africa.

“It is something you have to get used to, but in the beginning it was really frustrating. Here in South Africa, I started with people I didn’t know and you can see what happened after five years,” he said, referring to the close connections he developed with Bafana Bafana players and members of his staff.

His tenure was defined not only by results but also by the personal bonds formed during his time with the national team. Broos said those relationships had been made possible by the mentality and character of the people he worked with.

“It is only because of your mentality and character and we can’t do that as Europeans. This is special and I love it so much.”

The farewell marked the end of Broos’ five years in the Bafana Bafana hot seat, a period in which he helped restore belief in the national team and delivered a series of significant achievements on the international stage.