South Africa Coach Hugo Broos Closes in on Record at 2026 World Cup

1 June 2026 at 01:14

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Broos has already confirmed he will step down from his role with Bafana Bafana after the World Cup, meaning he has at least four matches remaining in charge if the clash with Jamaica goes ahead. That fixture is scheduled to take place at a yet-to-be-announced venue in Mexico.

Those four games would bring his total in charge to 59, one more than Shakes Mashaba, who currently holds the record for the most matches as Bafana coach.

If the team progresses from their group at the World Cup, he could add to that tally, although South Africa are not considered strong contenders to do so.

Bafana's chaotic preparations for the World Cup have been delayed by visa problems, but they are expected to depart on Monday, according to Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie.

Any further delay could put the Jamaica match at risk, as the players will need time to acclimatise at their high-altitude base in Pachuca.

For now, however, the game remains on track, and Broos is poised to claim the record outright, or at least equal Mashaba's mark.

Broos has overseen 55 matches to date, recording 26 wins, 21 draws and just eight defeats, with 80 goals scored and 44 conceded. He has been in charge for five years, having taken over in May 2021.

This is the second-longest tenure of his 38-year coaching career, behind a six-season spell with Club Brugge between 1991 and 1997.

Bafana have actually played 90 matches during those five years, but 35 of those were in the COSAFA Cup, the African Nations Championship, or friendlies where Broos was not on the sidelines.

SAFA credit him with being in charge for the first of those, a friendly against Uganda in June 2021, when he was actually still in Belgium, some 9,000 kilometres away.

Broos already holds the record for the longest continuous tenure as Bafana coach. Given how frequently South Africa have changed coaches over the years, few expected the national team to reach a point where the same manager remained in place for five years.

The late Clive Barker previously held the record at three years and eight months.

Broos's potential final four matches in charge are against Jamaica, followed by Bafana's opening game of the 2026 World Cup against co-hosts Mexico in Mexico City on June 11, then the Czech Republic in Atlanta on June 18, and South Korea in Monterrey on June 24.