Former Bafana Bafana World Cup Player Points Out Major Weakness in Hugo Broos
Former Bafana Bafana defender Matthew Booth has praised coach Hugo Broos for leading South Africa back to the FIFA World Cup but believes there is still room for improvement.
The 1996 African champions have qualified for the global showpiece for the first time since hosting it in 2010. Their last successful qualification campaign came in 2002 under Carlos Queiroz, who, however, did not accompany the team to the tournament.
Broos now joins an elite group of coaches to have guided South Africa to the World Cup, following the late Clive Barker (France 1998) and Queiroz (Korea/Japan 2002). In each of their previous appearances, Bafana Bafana have failed to progress beyond the group stages — a record Broos will aim to rewrite if he remains in charge for the 2026 edition in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Booth identified one area where he believes the 2017 AFCON-winning coach can improve — his approach to monitoring South African players abroad. He noted that Broos has not paid enough attention to overseas-based players since taking charge of Bafana Bafana and stressed the importance of scouting them regularly. Booth explained that the Belgian coach should travel to watch these players in action and reassure them that they are being monitored.
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He added that while the current squad has earned its place after working hard to qualify for the World Cup, Broos should still maintain inclusivity by broadening his selection pool. With Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns players currently forming the core of the national team, Booth acknowledged that Broos might justify his reliance on local stars by pointing to their success against sides filled with Europe-based players.
As Broos prepares to retire after the 2026 World Cup, having already endorsed his assistant Helman Mkhalele as his successor, Booth expressed his hopes that the next coach will take a more inclusive approach — travelling to Europe regularly, attending PSL games, and expanding the scouting network to strengthen future Bafana Bafana squads.
Source: Briefly News
