Broos hopes to finish coaching career on a high

Bafana Bafana train on September 1, 2025 ahead FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Nigeria.

Bafana Bafana Coach Hugo Broos will be aiming to complete a full circle by guiding the national team to the FIFA World Cup in the United States (US), Canada and Mexico next year.

Victory over Lesotho at the Free State Stadium in a Group C World Cup qualifier in Bloemfontein on Friday evening will take him and his team a step closer to realising that dream.

Broos will be hoping to join a distinguished list of coaches who played at the World Cup as players and also coached on the global stage.

The 73-year-old Belgian represented his country at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

Broos has also mentioned that he wants to finish his coaching career on a high at the global showpiece in the Americas next year.

He says, “It will be 40 years next year since I did the world championships in Mexico as a player. It will be fantastic to do it as a trainer 40 years later. This is my last job as a coach. I am 73, and I am not going on until I am 80, and it should be a nice moment to stop.”

Friday evening’s match, although in Bloemfontein, will be an away match for Bafana Bafana as Lesotho does not have stadiums approved by the world governing body FIFA.

Bafana beat Lesotho 2-0 in Polokwane early this year.

Broos says it is a must-win match. “For us, we have to win the game tomorrow. I see a motivated group and the boys know that it should be a highlight in their career to go to the World Cup next year, so I know they will fight for it from the first minute.”

South Africa will host their nemesis, Nigeria, at the same venue next week Tuesday.

Broos says two victories against Lesotho and Nigeria will go a long way in securing qualification for the World Cup.

He says, “We all know that the next two games, with a bit of luck, can maybe be the final step to qualification to the World Cup, so we are motivated to play tomorrow’s game.”

The last time Bafana played at a sold-out Free State stadium, they beat Zimbabwe 3-1 in a World Cup qualifier.

Captain Ronwen Williams is hoping fans will come out in their numbers to motivate them. “It’s obviously nice coming here, we know the crowd can give us extra motivation and we have a good memory when we played here last year, when we beat Zimbabwe, so hopefully the crowd will come out again, and give us the extra motivation and energy we need.”

Friday’s match will kick off at 6 pm.