By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Belgian Hugo Broos announced as the new Bafana Bafana coach after he confirmed that he was contacted by high-ranking SA Football Association (Safa) officials.
The announcement was made at the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) Radio Park in Auckland Park.
Safa were desperately working around the clock to find a replacement for former coach Molefi Ntseki, who was relieved of his duties a little over a month ago after Bafana failed to qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Cameroon.
The Belgian was believed to be out of the race a few days ago but has re-emerged as the frontrunner after Safa’s initial attempts to be bring in Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz and later fan favourite Benni McCarthy hit snags.
However, the deal is believed to have collapsed this week after McCarthy spelt out conditions he viewed as non-negotiable, including the appointment of AmaZulu colleagues Siyabonga Nomvethe and Moeneeb Josephs as his assistant coaches on a full-time basis. Nomvethe and Josephs serve as McCarthy’s assistants at AmaZulu and he wanted them to retain the same roles at national team level.
Broos is no stranger on the continent and led Cameroon to Afcon success in Gabon in 2017 when they beat Egypt 2-1 in the final at the Stade de l’Amitié in Libreville and won league titles in Belgium with Club Brugge twice and once with Anderlecht.
A 1970s and 1980s defender who earned 24 caps for Belgium‚ Broos’s playing career was spent mostly at RSC Anderlecht (350 appearances) and Club Brugge (161).
He began his coaching career at RWD Molenbeek in 1988‚ and from 1991 to 1997 at Club Brugge won league titles in 1991-92 and 1995-96‚ the Belgian Cup in 1994-95 and 1995-96‚ and Belgian Supercup in 1991‚ 1992‚ 1994 and 1996.
Coaching Anderlecht from 2003 to 2005 he won the 2003-04 league title. He coached late former Bafana right-back Anele Ngcongca at KRC Genk in 2008.
Since then his career has taken him to Panserraikos in Greece‚ Trabzonspor in Turkey‚ Al Jazira in United Arab Emirates‚ JS Kabylie and NA Hussein Dey in Algeria‚ and then Cameroon fromm 2016 to 2017.