CAPE TOWN - New Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has pleaded for South African football fans to be patient as “building a new team takes time”.
Broos was appointed on a five-year contract until 2026 on Wednesday, but with the mandate of qualifying for next year’s Fifa World Cup in Qatar.
The 69-year-old replaces Molefi Ntseki, who was sacked a little over a month ago after Bafana failed to qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Cameroon.
Bafana will face some tough opponents on their road to Qatar as they are pitted against Ghana, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia in Group G.
Broos’ first assignment will be a trip to southern African neighbours Zimbabwe originally scheduled for between 5-8 June. A few days later Bafana will then host Ghana’s Black Stars.
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“I'm very proud and happy to be the new coach of South Africa. It's a country in which I have always wanted to work in,” Broos said from Belgium via Zoom.
"I can't wait to come to South Africa and to meet my South African assistant. We will do everything we can to qualify for the World Cup next year, but it can be a deception if we don't. Building a new team takes time."
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"For me, the most important thing is what happens after this World Cup ... the next Afcon and the World Cup of 2026."
Safa President Danny Jordaan confirmed that Broos’ technical team will be announced next week when the Belgian arrives in South Africa.
It will be made up of an assistant that Broos will bring to South Africa with him and another local coach.