# SAFA to decide Bafana Bafana’s next head coach at NEC meeting

The South African Football Association (SAFA) will decide who replaces Hugo Broos as Bafana Bafana head coach at a meeting of its National Executive Committee next Saturday.

SAFA president Danny Jordaan confirmed the timing after the association announced on Friday morning that Broos would leave his position, ending his successful five-year spell in charge of South Africa’s senior men’s national team.

The identity of Broos’ successor has not yet been made public, but Jordaan said the appointment would be discussed and finalised at the upcoming NEC meeting.

“We are having a NEC meeting next week Saturday, and that is where the decision will be taken,” Jordaan told the media.

The announcement brings the search for a new head coach closer to a conclusion, with SAFA having carried out an extensive recruitment process in recent weeks. Several experienced candidates from South Africa and abroad are understood to have been considered before the final decision is made.

Broos leaves after helping to restore confidence and greater consistency to Bafana Bafana. During his time in charge, he guided the team to qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which represented a significant achievement for the national side.

His departure means the incoming coach will take over a team with immediate competitive responsibilities. South Africa’s next major task will include preparation for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

Bafana Bafana have been placed in Group D alongside Guinea, Kenya and Eritrea. Qualification for the continental tournament is expected to be the first major target for the new coach as South Africa attempt to maintain the progress made during Broos’ tenure.

The decision at the NEC meeting will therefore determine the direction of the national team after the end of Broos’ five-year reign. SAFA has yet to announce the names of the coaches who were considered during the recruitment process or indicate whether the successful candidate will come from South Africa or overseas.

For now, the association has confirmed only when the decision will be taken, rather than who will be appointed. The new head coach will inherit a side that has secured its place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and is preparing for another important qualification campaign in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

Broos’ period in charge was marked by a rebuilding of Bafana Bafana’s confidence and consistency, alongside the team’s World Cup qualification. SAFA must now choose the coach it believes can continue that progress while managing the demands of the next international commitments.

The NEC meeting next Saturday will provide the formal opportunity for the association to settle the appointment and begin the next phase of the national team’s development.