‘Broos stays’ – SAFA boss Jordaan on why sacking Bafana coach would be big mistake

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos will lead the team to the World Cup as widely expected following the assurance of SAFA president Danny Jordaan.

Broos has come under pressure following South Africa’s elimination from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations at the Round of 16 by Cameroon as it was hoped that they could go all the way and win it after a third-place finish in 2023.

However, Jordaan says that would be a kneejerk reaction given what is coming up, and it could prove counterproductive for the national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

“I think that people are not looking at reality. The reality is that we have to pick the team, announce the team, and by March, we have to have a team, and by April and May, we must get the team to the World Cup. So, there’s no time,” Jordaan told SABC Sport.

Why is Hugo Broos here to stay?

“Now you must go through a process of finding a new coach and finding new players. No, I think it’s too late. We have to wait for the next round. And in any case, Broos had made it clear that this is the end of the road for him.”

The SAFA boss says focus now should be on preparing for the World Cup in the best possible way and after, work begins to find a suitable replacement for Broos, who has revived the fortunes of the national team.

“And we have to start looking for a continuation of the plan,” he added. “How do we sustain the success that Broos has built over time? But for now, Broos stays, and we are going to work to make sure that the team is in better shape when they go to the World Cup,” Jordaan further said.

Broos has been in charge of Bafana Bafana since May 2021 and led the team to back-to-back AFCONs in 2023 and 2025 while also guiding them to World Cup qualification for the first time since 2002.