Head coach Hugo Broos has addressed questions over the possibility of retirement after the AFCON as Bafana Bafana prepare for the semi-finals of the continental competition.
Broos, who won the 2017 AFCON with Cameroon is aiming to repeat the audacious feat this time at the helm of Bafana Bafana as his side put in the final preparations for a semi-final clash against Nigeria.
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At 71 years old, the Belgian mentor is the oldest coach at the AFCON and at the twilight if his career. Further, Broos has made it no secret of his challenges in trying to establish collaborations between the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and the the South African Football Federation (SAFA).
Before the AFCON, Broos had hinted that should Bafana fail to progress past the group stages he may be relived of his duties and that could be the end of the final coaching job.
"If we do not survive the group stage, I will at minimum end up in a storm of criticism and then I’m curious whether the Football Association will resist that pressure,” Broos said, as quoted by Belgian publication Het Laatste Nieuws.
"But honestly? It doesn’t concern me too much anymore. I am almost at the end of my career. I know that, I feel that. I let my assistant do the field training, I look after mandatory duties such as press conferences. I used to always do those things with a smile, but now… You know, this could well be my last job."
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Asked once more on his future at the pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Broos said at his age it is normal to be thinking about retirement but insisted it is not something he is currently thinking about and that a decision would only be made after the AFCON.
"No, why should I think about that? We are still not at the end," Broos said.
"I said okay, (in the first interview), I’m 71, there are moments to think about stopping your career but as long as things are going like right now why should I stop?
"I like my job. I like football. So, we will see what the future holds.
"But I think it’s totally normal that after a career of 26 years as a coach and 22 years as a professional football player, that little by little, you start thinking about the end of your career.
"But it’s nothing more than that."
Bafana Bafana take on the Super Eagles on Wednesday evening. Kick-off is at 19:00.
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