ANALYSIS | Bafana Bafana’s World Cup run shows their progress and ground they have to cover

Bafana Bafana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign showed both their progress and the work that lies ahead if they are to continue their upward trajectory and hold their own against the best in the world, writes Njabulo Ngidi.

At SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles

The most common phrase Bafana Bafana players use to describe coach Hugo Broos is “father figure”.

If they are more open, they fondly refer to the 74-year-old as madala (old man).

As a coach, and a father figure, the Belgian drew on some of the teachings his father instilled in him to help Bafana go from the boys they were when he took over to the teenagers they are in the international arena when they exited the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the round of 32.

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Broos’ father - Denis Broos, after whom he named one of his three children - was a policeman and a disciplinarian.

Denis’ firm hand, as well as the Catholic school education Hugo was raised with, shaped the Bafana coach’s approach to discipline - it’s a non-negotiable quality he looks for in a player.

“When you are the child of a policeman, in a little village, you have to be an example,” Broos has previously told this reporter.

“You can’t go astray. You are the son of a policeman! Automatically, you have a certain level of discipline. I still have that discipline now, and that’s what I instil to my team.”

Discipline is the foundation on which Bafana’s resurgence is built.

Making it a non-negotiable helped transform Bafana from a group of talented individuals into a united team, with the Belgian unfazed by dropping a star player in favour of a disciplined player who will put the collective ahead of their individual needs.

The team’s