Hugo Broos reiterates his decision to stand down as Bafana Bafana head coach after the 2026 World Cup finals - 'I will not die on the bench'

Hugo Broos has stated that he will step down as South Africa's coach after the 2026 World Cup finals.

Broos said he has been in football for far too long and feels that after his current contract as Bafana head coach, it will be the best time to retire.

“You know, I have said it before that the decision was made. After the World Cup, I will stop. My contract is finished; I will stop as a coach. I’ve been coaching for nearly 40 years; I’m 73 years old, and I think there has to be a moment where you have to stop. I will not die on the bench. Next year, after the World Cup, we are finished," Broos said, as quoted by SPORTSWIRE.

“Since I was 19 years old, I have been in football, first as a professional player and then as a coach. I think when I stop next year, I can’t be at home with my wife and drink coffee. Of course, football will always be there," he added.

“Okay, you never know. Maybe I can be an advisor for South Africa or another team or whatever, but I don’t want to work anymore every day; this is for sure. It looks attractive to me, certainly, but we will see next year."

Broos has been in charge of the national side since he was appointed by the South African Football Association (SAFA) in May 2021.

His appointment came after Bafana had failed to qualify for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals.

The former Cameroon head coach went on to guide South Africa to the subsequent finals in Ivory Coast, where they progressed to the semi-final. The 1996 African champions were eliminated by Nigeria but won a bronze medal by beating the Democratic Republic of Congo in the third-place playoff.

The Belgian has also guided the Cosafa nation to the 2026 Afcon finals, which will be played in Morocco in December 2025 and January 2026.

Bafana are also on track to qualify for the 2026 World Cup finals as they top Group C with a five-point gap ahead of their closest rivals.

The coach's focus right now is on the friendlies against Tanzania and Mozambique in June, which have been lined up to sharpen his players ahead of the World Cup qualifiers.

Bafana, just like the rest of the African nations, will conclude their qualifiers in October. South Africa will be hosted by Lesotho on September 1 before they welcome Nigeria on September 8.

Broos' side will then face Zimbabwe and Rwanda on October 6 and October 13, respectively.