Hugo Broos, following South Africa’s 1-0 loss to Canada, said the Round of 32 fixture would be his final act at a World Cup.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Amidst the disappointment of crashing out of the ongoing FIFA World Cup via a 92nd-minute goal, South Africa coach Hugo Broos has made history despite his side’s elimination on Sunday.
The Belgian tactician watched as co-hosts Canada defeated Bafana Bafana 1-0 in the Round of 32 to advance to the Round of 16.
However, despite the painful loss, Broos—at the age of 74 years and 79 days—became the oldest coach in knockout-phase history.
He takes over the record from Óscar Tabárez, who held it at the age of 71 after guiding Uruguay to the quarter-finals in 2018.
Speaking after his side’s 1-0 loss to Canada, Broos confirmed the game would be his final act at a World Cup.
The Belgian, who played at the 1986 World Cup, stopped short of confirming whether he would retire as South Africa coach altogether.
He told reporters: “It’s not clever to take decisions when you are disappointed.
”I will see in the coming days what I will do for the future. For sure, this is my last World Cup.”
If Broos stays true to his decision, it will potentially bring down the curtain on a career spanning more than five decades as both a player and a manager.
