Zim Coach Praises Broos for Transforming Bafana Bafana
Zimbabwe’s head coach, Michael Nees, has praised Bafana Bafana’s coach, Hugo Broos, for the impressive turnaround of the South African national team, highlighting that managing football in South Africa comes with notable challenges.
Nees expressed these thoughts prior to Zimbabwe’s FIFA World Cup qualifier against Bafana Bafana at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday (18:00) — a pivotal match for South Africa.
Zimbabwe has already been eliminated from contention for a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to take place in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, having accumulated only four points from eight fixtures in Group C.
In contrast, Bafana Bafana currently sits at second place in the group with 14 points, level with Benin, who is at the top after South Africa was docked three points for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, during their qualifier against Lesotho in March.
FIFA awarded that match 3-0 to Lesotho, resulting in Bafana dropping from first to second place in the standings.
This means that Broos’s team must secure maximum points in their upcoming matches — including their clash with Rwanda at the Mbombela Stadium on Tuesday (18:00) — while hoping that Benin stumbles to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
“Football in South Africa is a challenging environment,” Nees noted.
When Broos assumed control in May 2021, Bafana Bafana had narrowly missed qualifying for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations. At that time, the Belgian coach confidently stated that he should be dismissed if the team failed to qualify for the next AFCON.
Not only did he guide them to qualification, but he also led Bafana to a third-place finish, clinching the bronze medal at the 2023 AFCON held in the Ivory Coast last year — marking their first podium finish in 24 years.
“Post-AFCON, there has definitely been progress,” Nees continued. “From my viewpoint, it’s difficult to pinpoint the specific changes, but the coach undoubtedly bears substantial responsibility.
“He manages the team, and we recognize that. Friday’s match is sure to be very engaging, without a doubt.”
Within the African qualifiers, only group winners gain automatic entry to the 2026 World Cup, while the four best second-placed teams can earn another shot through the CAF play-off round.
