Broos warns Mosimane appointment could undo Bafana Bafana progress

Former Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has criticised the prospect of Pitso Mosimane succeeding him, warning that the South Africa national team could lose five years of progress if the former coach is appointed.

Speaking to Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, Broos also raised concerns about the possible influence of club owners and agents over squad selection. He said he had worked to remove such interference during his five-year spell in charge.

“South Africa still don’t have a coach,” Broos told Het Nieuwsblad. “The candidate is Pitso Mosimane, a successful South African coach. But they know that if he comes in, they’ll go five years back in time.”

Mosimane is a successful South African coach who has won major honours in both domestic and continental football, but Broos believes his appointment could mark a significant change in direction for Bafana Bafana.

The Belgian was particularly critical of the idea that outside figures could attempt to influence which players are selected.

“Club owners and agents calling coaches to influence the squad selection. I threw all of them out. If one called, I would say bluntly: ‘I don’t talk with agents’.”

Broos’s comments come in his second high-profile interview since leaving the Bafana Bafana position. In 2024, during an appearance on the Frank & Franky Podcast in Belgium, he revealed that he intended to step down after the Africa Cup of Nations. The announcement reportedly caught South African Football Association president Danny Jordaan by surprise.

“I think he [SAFA president Danny Jordan] was lucky he was sitting down, otherwise he would have fallen over,” Broos said during that interview.

At the time, Broos said ongoing criticism and the strain of spending long periods away from his family in Belgium had contributed to his decision.

“Now, everything is good, but in March we have a group of friendlies and if we disappoint, it starts all over again,” he explained.

“I’m not going to do that anymore, two-and-a-half months I was not there. But it’s a lot, especially when you have grandchildren then it’s worse.”

In his latest interview with Het Nieuwsblad, Broos admitted that leaving South Africa had been more difficult than he expected. He said the closer his departure came, the more people urged him to continue, while members of his staff faced uncertainty over their own futures.

“I underestimated it. The closer the end came, the more people asked me not to stop. There are people who have now lost their jobs because I’m no longer continuing. My driver, for example, people drive like cowboys in South Africa,” Broos said.

He also spoke about his assistant coach, former South Africa international Helman Mkhalele, who did not want to remain in the role after Broos left.

“My assistant coach, Helman Mkhalele, too. He didn’t want to stay without me. My wife knows Helman and felt sorry for him too. ‘If you can stay for another year in a different role, with Helman as coach, then do it.'”

Broos said Jordaan offered him an unusually flexible arrangement in an attempt to persuade him to remain in charge while spending more time with his family.

“The federation president (Danny Jordaan) even said: ‘We understand that you miss your family. Just write down when you want to come.’ So only a week before the match did I consider returning to South Africa. That would have meant I could stay in Belgium from November until mid-March.”

Despite the offer, Broos said he felt unable to suggest such an arrangement and changed his mind repeatedly while preparing to leave.

“But I couldn’t bring myself to suggest that. I was embarrassed to propose it. During that week, when I was there to wrap everything up, I changed my mind at least 10 times. Until I told myself: ‘It’s terrible for those people, but it has to end at some point.’ It was a long silence when I told the president my decision.”