Doctor Khumalo urges Hugo Broos’ successor to preserve Bafana Bafana’s winning formula

Bafana Bafana legend Doctor Khumalo says Hugo Broos’ successor must protect the qualities that helped South Africa reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup and achieve their best Africa Cup of Nations finish in 24 years.

The South African Football Association is in the process of appointing a new head coach after Broos chose not to continue following a five-year reign in charge of the national team.

Under the Belgian coach, Bafana qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 2002. They also progressed beyond the group stage for the first time in their history at the 2026 edition.

Broos’ time in charge also ended with South Africa winning a bronze medal at the 2024 AFCON, their first podium finish in the competition for 24 years.

The new coach will face an immediate challenge, with South Africa’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign due to begin next month. The qualifying schedule includes back-to-back matches packed into a six-month period, meaning the incoming manager will have little time to settle into the role.

Khumalo believes the priority should be to maintain the team’s competitive edge while ensuring Bafana continue to play with a recognisably South African identity. He highlighted mental strength, a distinctive approach in possession and the importance of players who can provide attacking creativity and a focal point in the final third.

“We have a team, he (Broos) has raised the bar. Remember it took us 16 years to be where we are (to reach the World Cup stage). It was the mental strength, if those boys could pull it off after a disappointing loss against Mexico, for them to come, it requires a strong mental factor,” Khumalo said on Changing The Game With Pitso Mosimane podcast.

South Africa’s response after that setback was, in Khumalo’s view, evidence of the resilience developed during Broos’ tenure. He said the players showed a willingness to return to their own style rather than abandon the principles that had made the team successful.

“Our strength was them switching on and saying, ‘Let’s do it our way’. Our way, we have a combination phase going forward but they had more back passes. But when we introduce that number ten, we can’t play without that player. A ‘Mshishi’ (Themba Zwane), a Rele Mofokeng. When they introduced Rele it changed,” Khumalo added.

The former Bafana midfielder pointed to the influence of a creative number 10, citing Themba Zwane and Rele Mofokeng as examples. He suggested that Mofokeng’s introduction altered the team’s attacking threat and gave the side another way to progress the ball.

Khumalo also stressed the value of a recognised striker around whom the attack can be built. Evidence Makgopa provided that reference point during Broos’ tenure, while South Africa’s history had included similarly influential forwards.

“We also had that point of reference, which was (Evidence) Makgopa, not taking anything away from other strikers. When you look at how we used to play, Mark Williams, Phil Masinga, Shaun Bartlett, we’ve always had a strong spine (up top),” Khumalo added.

The next Bafana coach will therefore be expected not simply to improve the national team’s results, but to preserve the mental resilience, attacking structure and strong forward presence that Khumalo believes have underpinned their recent progress.