'What made him stand out?' — New Bafana coach Hugo Broos splits opinions

06 May 2021 - 06:30

By unathi nkanjeni AND Unathi Nkanjeni

The announcement of Belgian Hugo Broos as the new Bafana Bafana coach has left many fans puzzled.

On Wednesday, the South African Football Association (Safa) appointed Broos as the new head coach for the national team. He is expected in the country next week to meet all football stakeholders.

Broos replaces Molefi Ntseki, who was axed for failing to take the national team to the 2022 African Cup of Nations (Afcon) tournament.

Broos said he was excited to take charge of one of the biggest brands on the African continent.

“SA has a rich football history and is among the powerhouses on the continent. The country is full of quality and I am coming to coach a truly football nation with massive potential,’’ said Broos.

He said his priority would be to build a completely new team that will make a huge statement ahead of major global tournaments such as the Afcon and the Fifa World Cup.

“My main focus will be to weave in new players who have hunger and desire to achieve things. Young players are ambitious and want to prove a point. I need to start from there because I want to build a strong Bafana Bafana side for the future,” he said.

On social media, many fans were left puzzled by the announcement, after hoping that AmaZulu head coach Benni McCarthy would be named coach.

Some questioned Safa's decision to go for Broos instead of a local coach.

Here is a snapshot of some of the reactions: