Broos says hiring Mosimane will take Bafana backwards

Former South Africa coach Hugo Broos is alleging that if Pitso Mosimane replaces him, Bafana Bafana will regress five years because his team selection will be influenced by coaches and agents.

It is another startling outburst from the 74-year-old Belgian, who has a history of saying things without much thought for the repercussions, and came in a lengthy weekend interview in the Belgian media. 

Broos was asked by the interviewer about his reputation for plain speaking when he answered: “You know, South Africa still don’t have a coach. The candidate is Pitso Mosimane, a successful South African coach. But they know that if he comes in, they’ll go five years back in time. Club owners and agents calling coaches to influence the squad selection. I threw all of them out. If one called, I would say bluntly: ‘I don’t talk with agents’.”

Broos previously made inappropriate and racially tinged comments, most recently around Mbekezeli Mbokazi for which he was forced to apologise, and only eight months ago upset the Moroccan hosts of the Africa Cup of Nations, claiming the tournament lacked a vibe and the logistical arrangements were poor. 

His sentiments contrasted with overwhelming praise for Morocco easily organising the Cup of Nations to date.

Broos has previously also spoken condescendingly of South Africa in interviews in the Belgian media.

At the weekend he had a wide-ranging interview in Het Nieuwsblad, where he also spoke about contemplating continuing in the job after the World Cup, even though he said he would retire after the 2026 finals in North America.

“I underestimated it. The closer the end came, the more people asked me not to stop. There are people who have now lost their jobs because I’m no longer continuing. My driver, for example — people drive like cowboys in South Africa.” 

“My assistant coach, Helman Mkhalele, too. He didn’t want to stay without me. My wife knows Helman and felt sorry for him too. ‘If you can stay for another year in a different role, with Helman as coach, then do it.’ The federation president (Danny Jordaan) even said: ‘We understand that you miss your family. Just write down when you want to come.’ So only a week before the match did I consider returning to South Africa. That would have meant I could stay in Belgium from November until mid-March,” Broos told the Flemish-language newspaper.

'I'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED THAT KIND OF GRATITUDE BEFORE'

“But I couldn’t bring myself to suggest that. I was embarrassed to propose it. During that week, when I was there to wrap everything up, I changed my mind at least 10 times. Until I told myself: ‘It’s terrible for those people, but it has to end at some point.’ It was a long silence when I told the president my decision.” 

“I had to swallow hard a few times during those final weeks, yes. I’ve never experienced that kind of gratitude before. Especially after we finished third at the Africa Cup of Nations, and now also reaching the knockout stage for the first time. From my apartment to the shopping centre was 300 metres. Every time there would be 10 to 15 people asking for selfies, cars would stop and people would roll down their windows. Once, a car blocked the entire street like that: two policemen wanted a photo,” he added. 

Broos predicted, however, that he might become bored in retirement.

“Now I have no worries, no phone calls. Getting up and seeing what the day brings. For now, that’s absolutely fine. I know myself. In a few months, this situation will become a problem. Not because I want to return to coaching, mind you. That chapter is definitely closed, whoever calls. Fourteen days ago I got a call asking me to take charge of Ivory Coast. If they had asked me that 10 years ago, I’d already have been there.” 

“I don’t mind being alone occasionally. But not seven days a week, for weeks on end, as it was during the last five years with South Africa. But also because over the last two years I had to push myself to do certain things: prepare training sessions, study opponents. When you start to feel that, you might as well close the books. One day you no longer feel like doing the job properly. I don’t want that either. That’s why I decided last year that the World Cup would be the ideal time to stop.”