Win, lose, or draw against South Korea next week, legendary Belgian tactician Hugo Broos has officially cemented his name into the bedrock of South African football history.
Following Bafana Bafana’s gritty 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic, the 74-year-old mentor officially tied Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba as the joint most-capped head coach in Bafana Bafana history, with both men having commanded exactly 58 international fixtures.
When South Africa walks out at the Estadio BBVA in Monterrey for their high-stakes group finale against South Korea on Thursday, June 25, Broos will stand alone at the absolute summit with 59 matches.
The Final Dance: Broos to Step Down Post-World Cup
The milestone carries an emotional weight for the national team. Broos has already confirmed his intention to step down from his role at the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
With a minimum of one match remaining in his historic five-year tenure, Broos’s legacy is secure. However, should his squad pull off a historic victory over the Taegeuk Warriors and punch their ticket to the Round of 32, the veteran tactician will have the opportunity to extend his record even further on the world’s grandest stage.
By The Numbers: Broos vs. Mashaba
Since taking the reins in May 2021, Broos has defied South African football’s notorious “revolving door” managerial culture, breaking the late Clive Barker’s record for the longest continuous period in charge of the national team.
While Mashaba maintains a statistically superior win percentage, Broos’s remarkable consistency against top-tier global opposition has revitalized the country’s footballing identity.
Bafana Bafana’s Elite: All-Time Coaching Leaderboard
| Manager | Matches | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Win % |
| Shakes Mashaba | 58 | 32 | 21 | 5 | 94 | 40 | 55.1% |
| Hugo Broos | 58 | 26 | 23 | 9 | 82 | 48 | 44.8% |
| Stuart Baxter | 52 | 23 | 13 | 16 | 78 | 58 | 44.2% |
| Clive Barker | 43 | 22 | 9 | 12 | 57 | 38 | 51.1% |
| Carlos Alberto Parreira | 36 | 16 | 13 | 7 | 49 | 25 | 44.4% |
Interestingly, this historic five-year stint with South Africa marks the second-longest managerial tenure of Broos’s decorated career, sitting just behind his iconic six-season reign with Belgian heavyweights Club Brugge between 1991 and 1997.
The Ultimate Send-Off
Bafana Bafana’s World Cup campaign opened with a tough 2-0 defeat to co-hosts Mexico in Mexico City, followed by the dramatic 1-1 equalizer against Czechia. Now, Broos’s milestone 59th match represents the ultimate crossroads. A victory doesn’t just mean a personal record for the coach—it means a historic, first-ever knockout phase qualification for South Africa.
