OPINION: Let Hugo Broos finish what he started

Knowing how fickle we can be as a football nation, now is not the time to panic or nit-pick. It’s time to stick to the plan and let Hugo Broos finish what he started. The Belgian has earned the right to lead Bafana Bafana to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, even if things don’t go our way at the Africa Cup of Nations later this year.

A tricky AFCON group

Bafana will head to Morocco for AFCON, drawn in a tricky Group B alongside Angola, Egypt and Zimbabwe. As always, knives will be out the moment results don’t go Bafana’s way. We’ve seen this movie before, just ask Shakes Mashaba. After qualifying unbeaten for the 2015 AFCON, his side’s early exit triggered an avalanche of criticism that eventually cost him his job. It would be a mistake to let history repeat itself. This time, cooler heads are needed.

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The scrutiny will begin the instant Broos announces his AFCON squad. Fans will argue about who’s in and who’s left out, but too often those debates are clouded by club loyalties rather than logic. South African football has long been plagued by this bias, where some supporters care more about representation from their favourite teams than the success of the national side. This stance is tired, toxic, and it’s time we moved past it.

For the next few months, and beyond, the focus must be on Bafana as a team, not on individuals or allegiances. Broos must be allowed to pick players based on merit, not popularity contests. He has done more than enough to earn that trust, and he deserves to see his project through without being scrutinised at every turn.

Expectations will naturally be high after Bafana claimed bronze at the previous AFCON. I can almost guarantee that anything less than reaching the final will be unfairly labelled a failure by some sections of the public. There’s a strange obsession with seeing Bafana falter, simply to fuel personal agendas about which players deserve to be in the squad. That mentality serves no one, least of all the national team.

Broos has done it his way

Previous coaches have tried to please everyone, especially the fans of Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns. It has never worked and Broos, to his credit, has done things his way, and it’s paying off. Since his appointment in 2021, he has built a competitive and fearless side that plays with identity and discipline. For that, he deserves room to breathe, not endless second-guessing.

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Yes, the nation is still on cloud nine after finally making it through qualifying for its first World Cup since 2002 (they did play in 2010, but didn’t have to qualify). However, let’s not kid ourselves, the mood can turn toxic in a heartbeat. Favouritism, agendas, and petty loyalties have derailed progress before. Let’s do the sensible thing and trust the man in charge. Let Broos work his magic, choose on form, and lead this team without interference because he’s earned that respect.