Hugo Broos confirms coaching retirement after Ivory Coast approach

Former Bafana Bafana manager Hugo Broos has confirmed he has retired from professional coaching, despite revealing that he received an approach from African giants Ivory Coast only two weeks ago.

The 74-year-old Belgian ended a successful five-year spell in charge of South Africa in July. During his tenure, Broos guided Bafana Bafana to a bronze medal at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), giving the country its first podium finish in the competition since 2000.

Broos also led South Africa to qualification for the recently concluded 2026 FIFA World Cup. It was the nation’s first appearance at the tournament since hosting the finals in 2010, while Broos became the first coach to take Bafana Bafana to World Cup qualification since 2002.

South Africa went further than ever before at the tournament, reaching the knockout stages for the first time in the country’s history under Broos.

Despite those achievements, Broos has now brought his coaching career to an end. He admitted that retirement had initially been difficult to imagine, but said he was currently enjoying a life without the demands that come with managing a national team or club.

Speaking to Nieuwsblad, Broos said: “I’ve never had a life like this. No worries, no phone calls. Get up and see what the day brings. Right now, that’s still going perfectly.

“I know myself. In a few months, this situation is going to become a problem. Not that I want to be a coach again, mind you. That chapter is definitely closed, no matter who calls.

“Fourteen days ago, I got a call to start with Ivory Coast. If that question had come ten years earlier, I would already be in Ivory Coast.”

Broos’s comments indicate that Ivory Coast explored the possibility of appointing him, although he made clear that he has no intention of returning to management.

His time with Bafana Bafana represented one of the most successful periods in the national team’s recent history. The Afcon bronze medal ended a long wait for a podium finish, while World Cup qualification and a historic run to the knockout phase added further significance to his final campaign.

The Belgian’s departure in July followed five years in which he established himself as a key figure in South African football. Although another opportunity emerged almost immediately, Broos insists that the chapter is now closed.

By Lukhanyo Mtuta