Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup qualifying rivals South Africa have been handed a huge boost after head coach Hugo Broos reaffirmed his commitment to the national team.
The Belgian tactician was appointed as Bafana Bafana's head coach in 2021 following stints with Cameroon and Oostende, where he worked as a technical director and later as a caretaker manager.
Broos’ spell with South Africa has so far gone according to plan, with the 71-year-old rebuilding the squad and also making the national team competitive again.
The highlight of Broos’ time with South Africa came during the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2024) in the Ivory Coast, where he led Bafana Bafana to an impressive third-place finish. The former Anderlecht and Genk manager has thus built a great reputation on the continent, having also won the AFCON with Cameroon in 2017.
Despite having two years left on his current contract with South Africa, reports from Tunisia had indicated that Broos was ready to ditch Bafana Bafana for the North African nation.
Hugo Broos linked to Tunisia head coach role
Speculations over Broos' future began making the rounds immediately after the AFCON ended, with Nigeria and Tunisia topping the list of potential destinations for the Belgian coach.
In the aftermath of the AFCON, the South Africa coach denied reports of seeking a new challenge and said he was committed to honouring his contract with Bafana Bafana.
Despite this, reports from Tunisia had suggested Broos had already accepted an offer to become the new head coach of the Carthage Eagles. The report indicated that South Africa’s friendly against Algeria on Tuesday would be Broos’ last game in charge of the side.
Such reports now seem wide off the mark, with Broos set to see through the five-year contract he signed with South Africa three years ago, as he aims to lead Bafana Bafana to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Broos confirms South Africa stay for 2026 World Cup qualifying
South Africa are currently third in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying, one point ahead of rivals Nigeria, who look certain to be their biggest challengers for the top spot.
Should Broos have departed South Africa for Tunisia, it would’ve left Bafana Bafana with a short period of time to find a new head coach before the World Cup qualifying resumed in three months.
However, the Belgian tactician has now confirmed that he has had no contact with the Tunisian FA and has no intention of parting ways with South Africa. Addressing his players after Tuesday’s pulsating international friendly against Algeria which ended 3-3, Broos announced in the dressing room that he was staying. “Why should I leave a good team such as you,” he said in a video shared on Bafana Bafana’s X page.
“There is no contact between me and the Tunisian federation. If I believe the Tunisian media, I am a candidate. If I leave South Africa, the federation will decide, for me, it's just rumours,” Broos stated in a separate interview, as quoted by iDiski Times.
“There’s no contact or discussion between me and Tunisia. It’s just the rumour. I’m one of the candidates according to Tunisian media, but it’s not official. I’m with Bafana Bafana in June. I depend on the federation [SAFA].”
Bafana Bafana have a huge World Cup qualifying tie against Nigeria on June 3 in Abuja before taking on Zimbabwe a week later as they aim to secure their ticket to the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
