Hugo Broos: How impressive is new Bafana Bafana coach's CV?

As a player, newly-appointed Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos won the European Cup Winners Cup twice as well as the Uefa Cup, while as a coach he is well renowned for winning the 2017 Afcon with Cameroon.  

Broos spent his entire playing career with just two clubs - Anderlecht and Club Brugge - and his achievements also include winning three league titles in Belgium as well as numerous cup competitions, back in the 1970s and early 1980s.

He played over 500 games and also has 24 caps to his name for Belgium and was part of the national setup which finished fourth at the 1986 World Cup.

He then coached at both of his former clubs where, in total, he won three league titles, two Belgium Cups and four Belgium Super Cups. He also won Belgian Professional Manager of the Year on four occasions.

So far it's a pretty decent CV, albeit the Belgium league has never exactly been one of the world's best.

But the thing is, the above accolades were mostly achieved in the 1990's, with a few also in the early 2000's.

There is a 13-year gap between when Broos last won the league in Belgium, until he won the 2017 Afcon with Cameroon.

In between, he was employed by unheralded clubs such as Greek side Panserraikos FC, Trabzonspor of Turkey, Belgian team Zulte Waregem, JS Kabylie and Hussein Dey (both Algeria) and Al Jazira in the UAE, where he worked as an assistant a decade ago.

Subsequent to being axed by Cameroon for failing to reach the 2018 World Cup, Broos was employed by Belgian side Oostende, first as technical manager and then as a caretaker coach, most recently in 2019.

It's safe to say his career was winding down, especially with his 70th birthday arriving next April.

It may also be surmised - based on the lengthy period Safa took to announce Broos' appointment - that he was not the first choice. Certainly, the likes of Pitso Mosimane and Carlos Queiroz boast more impressive CV's.

Of course at the end of the day, if he can work some magic and get South Africa to the World Cup next year, it won't matter.

Sometimes it's less about what's on paper, and more about the energy a coach brings and the bonds he forms with his players. Although that’s much easier at club level.

And until he has achieved something tangible, questions will remain. A lack of experience on the African continent is also a concern - Broos' stay with Cameroon was short and sweet after all.

As things stand, it would seem the appointment suits the coach better than the South African national team – he’s got the chance for a last hurrah in his career,  and could potentially coach at a World Cup next year.

If things go wrong and he gets fired, there will probably still be a hefty payout, while Bafana would be left floundering as they have been for the better part of the last two decades.

Because for all the talk of building a young team, the fact is that the foundations for development are what Safa should be addressing most urgently.