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The South Africa national football team coach Hugo Broos confirmed his departure on Thursday, ending two weeks of intense speculation over his future.
The 74-year-old Belgian strategist initially planned to retire after guiding the squad to the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time in history.
Although South Africa’s round-of-32 exit against co-hosts Canada on June 28 briefly made him reconsider retirement, Broos ultimately decided to step away from full-time coaching.
In an interview with Belgian football website voetbalnieuws.be, Broos declared his decision irreversible, stating that professional football will no longer consume his life around the clock.
However, he expressed open interest in transitioning into a consulting or scouting role for the South African Football Association (SAFA).
Broos revealed that the SAFA chairman has already asked him to stay on as an advisor, and the veteran coach plans to return to South Africa at the end of July to finalise his farewell and discuss the official proposal.
Broos concludes a highly successful five-year tenure, making him the longest-serving head coach in South African football history.
Under his leadership, the national team qualified for its first World Cup tournament in 16 years.
Broos jokingly added that while his wife welcomes his retirement, she warned him not to get in her way at home—a factor that makes a part-time advisory role requiring a few weeks in South Africa every two months highly appealing.
