In less than a year from now, South Africa will bid farewell to one of the country’s finest-ever coaches, Hugo Broos.

The Belgian is the toast of town after guiding Bafana Bafana to the FIFA 2026 World Cup.

The 1996 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winners finished top of Group C, despite being docked three points, ahead of Nigeria and Benin.

The last thing the country wants to hear now is that Broos, who signed a five-year contract in 2021, is on his way out, but that is the reality.

“This is the right moment next year, after the World Cup, to stop my career and to go to my family and enjoy the next 20 years with my grandchildren and children,” Broos told the media in Mbombela, Mpumalanga, where Bafana Bafana beat Rwanda 3-0 to secure automatic qualification on Tuesday evening.

“But first of all, there’s some work to do (with Bafana), and we will try to do it well.”

Bafana Bafana will feature in the AFCON with Morocco as hosts from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026. Broos says he is confident they can go one better than their third place finish in the last edition.

They will then participate in the FIFA World Cup from 11 June to 19 July, 2026, before Broos packs up to head home.

He will be hoping to improve on his Bafana Bafana record, which currently stands at 48 matches; 23 wins, 19 draws and only six (6) defeats.