Why Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos is yet to be paid a salary since his appointment in May

13 July 2021 - 11:38 By mahlatse mphahlele
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Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos during a press conference at Safa House on May 12 2021 in Johannesburg.
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos during a press conference at Safa House on May 12 2021 in Johannesburg.
Image: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images

SA Football Association (Safa) CEO Tebogo Motlanthe says new Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos is yet to be paid a salary since his appointment on May 5.

The 69-year-old Belgian coach returned home for his second Covid-19 vaccination soon after his appointment and has not taken his place on the bench in the team's recent matches. Broos missed Bafana’s friendly against Uganda at Orlando Stadium last month‚ and also did not play a role in the team's participation in the Cosafa Cup competition that is currently under way in Gqeberha.

“When we appointed Hugo Broos as Bafana Bafana coach‚ we never made it a secret that he had taken his first Covid-19 jab in his native country and he would be going back for the second one.

“We said after getting the second jab‚ he would come back to SA and that would happen once the borders were open that side of the Netherlands to allow him into the country. That’s when his contract will officially commence‚” said Motlanthe.

Motlanthe said they are thankful that Broos managed to do some work behind the scenes when he was briefly in the country to sign his contract with Safa in May.

“What we have agreed with him when he was here for the first time was that he was going to sign a contract‚ but the contract will commence as soon as he comes back into the country.

“So no‚ [he is not drawing a salary from Safa at the moment] and we are also grateful that he agreed to the arrangement‚ despite the work he did when he was here.

“He was agreeable to the contract commencing when he comes back‚ but when he is going to come back is dependent on when the borders are open.”

The start of 2022 World Cup qualifiers was postponed to September due to contentious Covid-19 testing protocols‚ and to also enable some African countries time to upgrade their facilities to meet Fifa standards.

Motlanthe said they hope the Belgian will be back in SA in time to prepare for the national team for the crucial World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe [away] and Ghana at home.

“We still believe that he will be here in time to prepare the team for the World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Ghana‚” the Safa CEO said.

“We are in constant contact with him about what is happening in the Cosafa Cup‚ and also what will be happening in Japan regarding the SA under-23 team's [participation] at the Olympics [next month]. We hope that when he comes back he will have enough time to prepare Bafana for the World Cup qualifiers.”

Earlier in the week the SA under-23 side was rocked by the withdrawal of Lyle Foster‚ Fagrie Lakay‚ Abbubaker Mobara‚ Sipho Mbule and Keletso Makgalwa due to medical reasons.

Motlanthe said the withdrawals are a huge setback.

“When you have a plan and you planned around certain players‚ if that player or those players get injured‚ for instance like Mobaaa‚ because we were counting on him‚ it will affect you.

“But we still believe that the coach David Notoane has enough depth and they will still give it their best when they get out to Japan.”


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