Hugo Broos

Hugo Henri Broos (born 10 April 1952) is a Belgian professional football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the South Africa national team.

Playing career

He started his football career in his hometown Humbeek, playing for KFC Humbeek and was discovered at the early age of eighteen by a scout from RSC Anderlecht. For more than ten years he was their central defender and helped them win three European trophies, three national championships and four Belgian Cups. Between 1974 and 1986 he represented Belgium, gaining 24 caps and finishing fourth at the World Cup in Mexico in 1986. In 1983 Broos switched teams and started playing for Club Brugge. He played there for five seasons until season 1987–88. During this period he helped his team gain the Belgian Cup in 1986 and the championship in 1988. In 1988 Broos retired as a professional footballer.^[2]

In his career as a football player he won the Belgian Cup five times.

Coaching career

From 1991 to 1998 Broos coached Club Brugge, winning the championship twice in 1992 and 1996. He also won the Belgian Cup in 1991, 1995 and 1996. From 2002 until 2005 he coached Anderlecht. He got the team into the Champions League and his team won the 2003–04 season championship. The following 2004–05 season was a turning point however, and the team were knocked out of the Champions League and the Belgian Cup. After a 0–0 result against Gent, Broos was fired for the first time in his career. Later that year in June, he became coach for KRC Genk and got back at his former team on 30 September by beating them 4–1. During the 2007–08 season Broos left Genk.

Broos won the prestigious Belgian Coach of the Year award four times in his career, twice while coaching Club Brugge (1992 and 1996), once with Anderlecht in 2004, and with KRC Genk in 2007. On 15 December 2008, Broos became coach of Greek club Panserraikos, and for the first time in his career, coached outside his home country. Panserraikos had a good campaign in Greek Cup, eliminating Panathinaikos in the quarter-finals but losing to AEK Athens in the semi-finals. Later in season Panserraikos couldn't avoid relegation. Broos left Panserraikos and became new coach of Trabzonspor on 22 June 2009 and was released on 22 November 2009. After that he was head coach of Zulte Waregem for half a season, before becoming assistant coach of Al Jazira Club.

He was sacked in 2012 and became manager of the national team of Cameroon.^[3] He led the team to victory in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.^[4] He took the role of sporting director of K.V. Oostende after being laid-off as Cameroon's coach in February 2018. On 5 May 2021, he was appointed manager of the South Africa national team.^[5] He led South Africa to a third-place finish at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations In October 2025, Broos ran a successful campaign of leading South Africa in qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.^[6] Shortly after, he announced that he would retire from coaching after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Managerial statistics

Honours

Player

Anderlecht^[7]

• Belgian First Division: 1971–72, 1973–74, 1980–81
• Belgian Cup: 1971–72, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1975–76
• Belgian League Cup: 1973, 1974
• European Cup Winners' Cup: 1975–76, 1977–78; runner-up 1976–77
• European Super Cup: 1976, 1978
• UEFA Cup: 1982–83
• Amsterdam Tournament: 1976^[8]
• Tournoi de Paris: 1977^[9]
• Jules Pappaert Cup: 1977, 1983^[10]
• Belgian Sports Merit Award: 1978^[11]

Club Brugge^[12]

• Belgian First Division: 1987–88
• Belgian Cup: 1985–86
• Belgian Super Cup: 1986
• Bruges Matins: 1984^[13]

Belgium

• FIFA World Cup fourth place: 1986^[14]

Manager

RWD Molenbeek

• Belgian Second Division: 1989–90^[15]

Club Brugge^[12]

• Belgian First Division: 1991–92, 1995–96
• Belgian Cup: 1994–95, 1995–96
• Belgian Super Cup: 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996

Anderlecht^[7]

• Belgian First Division: 2003–04

Cameroon

• Africa Cup of Nations: 2017^[16]

South Africa

• Africa Cup of Nations third place: 2023^[6]

Individual

• Belgian Professional Manager of the Year: 1991–92, 1995–96, 2003–04, 2006–07^[17]
• Honorary Citizen of Jabbeke and Grimbergen: 2017^[18][19]

References

1. ^ "Hugo Henri̇ Broos". Turkish Football Federation. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
2. ^ (in English) Club Brugge website – Broos bio Archived 12 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine
3. ^ Bongben, Leocadia (13 February 2016). "Belgium's Hugo Broos is named as Cameroon's new coach". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
4. ^ "Afcon 2017: Cameroon coach Hugo Broos pays tribute to '23 friends'". BBC Sport. 6 February 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
5. ^ Gillion, Baden. "Belgian Hugo Broos is the new Bafana Bafana head coach". News24. sport24. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
6. ^ "Broos heaps praise on his players following bronze medal finish". cafonline.com. 10 February 2024.
7. ^ "RSC Anderlecht | Palmares"
8. ^ "Amsterdam Tournament". Archived from the original on 21 October 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
9. ^ "Tournois de Paris : une compétition opposant 4 clubs" (in French). Retrieved 8 November 2020.
10. ^ "Jules Pappaert Cup"
11. ^ "Nationale Trofee voor Sportverdienste". 7 November 2019.
12. ^ "Club Brugge | Palmares". 29 January 2024.
13. ^ "Winnaars Brugse Metten"
14. ^ "FIFA 1986 World Cup". Archived from the original on 5 June 2016.
15. ^ "RWDM 1989-1990"
16. ^ "AfCoN 2017: Cameroon coach Hugo Broos pays tribute to '23 friends'". BBC Sport. 6 February 2017.
17. ^ "Palmares Profvoetballer van het Jaar"
18. ^ "Hugo Broos wordt ereburger in woonplaats" (in Dutch). Het Nieuwsblad. 18 February 2017.
19. ^ "Succescoach Hugo Broos wordt ereburger" (in Dutch). Het Laatste Nieuws. 6 July 2017.