‘We need to talk to Hugo Broos’, says Safa boss Jordaan as Bafana return

South African Football Association (Safa) president Danny Jordaan said the ruling body needs to “talk to Hugo Broos” as Bafana Bafana arrived at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg from the 2026 Fifa World Cup in North America on Thursday morning.

Jordaan hinted the talks could be about Broos’ future as Bafana coach.

The 74-year-old Belgian announced long before the World Cup he would retire from coaching after the tournament. However, he made noises of a possible short-term reconsideration, if conditions were right, as Bafana progressed past the group stage for the first time.

With qualifiers for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda starting in September, it might make sense for Broos to remain on until the tournament, and that appears to have been the sentiment of the players after the World Cup.

However, it has been reported that former Bafana, Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly (Egypt) coach Pitso Mosimane has submitted his CV for what was supposed to be a vacant post.

Jordaan thanked the team, while sitting next to him at a press conference welcoming Bafana back at the airport, Broos and captain Ronwen Williams for the South Africans’ efforts at the World Cup.

“We are very happy and thank you very much for your contributions,” the Safa president said.

“Now we’re back home we’re going to evaluate our performance in the tournament. We’ll talk about it and we’ll tell you of the next phase in South African football. We are hopeful we will continue on this upward trend.

“We need to talk to Hugo Broos and we will let you know after that conversation.”

Pressed on what the talks might entail, Jordaan said: “The conversation is confidential, a private one. Let us speak and then we’ll tell you. We can’t tell you before.”

Bafana punched above their weight at the World Cup, progressing as the lowest-ranked side in Group A after a disappointing 2-0 defeat to co-hosts Mexico, an improved 1-1 draw against Czechia and a genuinely impressive 1-0 win against a strong South Korea.

The South Africans bowed out with a 1-0 defeat to tough Canada in the last 32 at Los Angeles Stadium on Sunday, the co-hosts triumphing via Stephen Eustáquio’s last-gasp, 92nd-minute winner.

Broos has led a revival of the long-ailing national team, steering them to the bronze medal at the Afcon in 2024, their best finish at the tournament in 24 years.

He steered Bafana to their first World Cup qualification in 16 years since being hosts in 2010 and first as qualifiers since South Korea and Japan in 2002, 24 years ago.

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