Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos. Picture: SAFA
When Hugo Broos first strode into the corridors of the South African Football Association in May 2021, few would have wagered on the Belgian’s ability to breathe life into a Bafana Bafana side mired in mediocrity.
For over a decade, South Africa’s national team had been a byword for disappointment, haunted by the ghosts of 1996 and overshadowed by missed opportunities and crumbling self-belief.
In fact, South Africa had just failed to qualify for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) under the tutelage of Molefi Ntseki. Yet, in just four years, Broos has orchestrated one of the most remarkable renaissances in African football, not just by delivering results, but by instilling a new, fearless mentality that has swept through the camp and into the hearts of fans across the Rainbow Nation.
The early days of Broos’ reign were turbulent. Arriving with an Afcon title on his CV, having led Cameroon to continental glory in 2017, he was nonetheless met with scepticism. South Africa languished outside FIFA’s top 50 and the continent’s top 10.
Stadiums were sparsely populated, the national jersey a punchline at gatherings. Broos, with his blunt manner and unyielding standards, ruffled more than a few feathers.
He was publicly critical of the status quo, demanding a new level of professionalism from players and staff alike. No one was spared, not even the federation’s administrators.
Yet, behind the scenes, Broos was laying the foundations for something greater. “The biggest improvement since my arrival has been the mentality and professional attitude — the belief in our own qualities,” he would later reflect. It was a belief that had to be built brick by brick, player by player.
Changing the guard
Broos quickly identified that the team’s core had grown stale. Where others saw comfort in experience, he saw stagnation. Out went the old guard, and in came a new generation, many plucked from the local league, some previously dismissed as not ready for the international stage.
He waved goodbye to the likes of Bongani Zungu, formerly with Glasgow Rangers, Kamohelo Mokotjo, who once plied his trade for Brentford FC and Andile Jali, whom Broos knew from his time in Belgium at KV Oostende.
His right-hand man, Helman Mkhalele, a national hero from the 1996 vintage, played a crucial role. Together, they scoured the country for talent, prioritising not just skill, but character.
Broos was unwavering in his criteria. “For me, it’s important to have a player with quality first of all, a player with the right mentality, and a player who can do what I ask him to do,” he explained.
This meant tough decisions: fan favourites were left out; unheralded youngsters were thrust into the limelight. The criticism was fierce, but Broos stood firm.
The transformation was not instantaneous. The first year was especially tough. Results were inconsistent, and the media questioned Broos’ selections and omissions. But gradually, a new identity began to emerge.
The team played with greater tactical discipline, showing a resilience and hunger that had been missing for years. The change was not just tactical, but cultural.
“Since the beginning, the players felt what I wanted and what I didn’t want. And if you continue with that, automatically you build something up,” Broos said.
His approach was no-nonsense, boundaries were set, and standards were enforced.
Captain Ronwen Williams summed up the mood: “The guy is so relaxed. But he’s straightforward. So, everyone knows the way things must be done in camp. He puts down the boundaries, and that’s how it is. He doesn’t compromise.”
The turning point came during the 2023 Afcon in Côte d’Ivoire. Bafana Bafana, written off as outsiders, stormed to a bronze medal, toppling continental giants like Morocco in the process.
The celebrations that erupted as Williams saved the decisive penalty in the quarterfinal shootout against Cape Verde were more than just about a football match — they were about redemption, belief, and the promise of a new era.
The results followed: an impressive qualifying campaign for Afcon Morocco 2025, and, perhaps most momentously, securing a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, South Africa’s first since they hosted in 2010.
The nation’s passion was reignited: stadiums began to fill, vuvuzelas blared in unison, and a new generation of fans found heroes to believe in.
Building a “well-oiled machine”
Broos is quick to share the credit. “I can’t forget my staff because they helped me a lot, especially Helman (Mkhalele). Without him, we shouldn’t have achieved that. It’s not only my staff, but the medical staff also who work day and night. The kit manager, the security manager, the team manager, we are a bunch of people who have only one goal, and that is doing good performances and winning things.”
His philosophy extends beyond the pitch. Broos sought to foster a sense of unity and shared purpose. It was an army of mostly locally based players, “trusted soldiers,” as he called them, who would fight for each other, for their coach, and for their country.
The result? A team that could go toe-to-toe with Africa’s best, unburdened by the inferiority complex that had dogged previous generations.
Broos’ tactical blueprint was equally transformative. He established a clear, consistent style of play, disciplined in defence, dynamic in attack, and always adaptable. In the last 10 games, including FIFA 2026 qualifiers, they have conceded only three goals.
“It is very important to have a consistent identity and style because it makes things easier and transparent for the players,” he insisted. The results spoke for themselves: Bafana Bafana became the joint second-best scorers in Afcon qualification, netting 16 goals in six matches.
Fearless in the face of giants
Perhaps the most striking change under Broos has been psychological. Where once Bafana Bafana shrank in the presence of Africa’s heavyweights, they now approach such encounters with genuine belief. Whether facing Morocco, Nigeria, or Egypt, the South Africans no longer play with trepidation.
“The key is mental preparation, believing in our qualities and sticking to our game plan,” Broos said ahead of a daunting Afcon Group B assignment.
The players echo this newfound mentality. “He has brought that brotherhood into the team, and that winning mentality,” said Themba Zwane. “You have seen in the games we have played, that fighting spirit. He has brought belief that whoever we face, we can fight and try to win.”
Broos knows that future success will be even harder to come by. “We have to convince the players that this time it will be harder because every team will be more motivated to beat us after our bronze medal. But we are capable of doing better,” he cautioned.
Yet, there is a sense that, whatever happens next, Bafana Bafana under Broos have already achieved something invaluable; they have won back the nation’s respect. As packed stadiums and jubilant fans attest, belief has returned.
The 2017 Afcon winner with Cameroon’s most significant legacy may not be trophies or even World Cup qualification, but the restoration of pride and fearlessness in South African football.
Where there was doubt, there is now hope. Where there was stagnation, there is now a machine built for success — and a nation once again daring to dream.
Driven by the relentless standards the former Anderlecht defender has instilled over the last four years, South Africa arrives at the 2025 Afcon in Morocco no longer as a hopeful underdog, but as a genuine title contender.
The Belgian tactician has successfully shed the team’s former reputation for inconsistency, replacing it with a formidable identity as a disciplined, high-scoring machine that the rest of the continent now views with genuine apprehension.