Forty years ago, Hugo Broos walked onto the pitch at Estadio Azteca as a Belgian defender facing Mexico in a World Cup opener. Now 74, he’s walking back into the same stadium as the head coach of South Africa, tasked with pulling off the kind of upset that eluded him the first time around.

Full circle at the Azteca

In 1986, Broos started for Belgium in front of 110,000 spectators as Mexico claimed a 2-1 victory in the tournament’s curtain-raiser.

Now he returns to Mexico City not as a player but as the architect of South Africa’s World Cup campaign. The emotional weight of the moment isn’t lost on him, though he’s been clear that sentiment will take a back seat to strategy once the whistle blows.

Building something from scratch

Broos took over as South Africa’s head coach in May 2021, inheriting a program that hadn’t appeared at a World Cup since 2010. His tenure hasn’t been without substance. He led South Africa to a third-place finish at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. Before that, he’d already proven his continental credentials by winning the Africa Cup of Nations with Cameroon in 2017.

South Africa has never advanced past the group stage of a World Cup, and Broos has made it clear that simply showing up isn’t the goal. South Africa opens against co-hosts Mexico, and the 2026 tournament is co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, meaning the opposition will enjoy every possible home advantage.

Preparation and pragmatism

South Africa’s squad has been acclimatizing to the altitude in Mexico City. The stadium sits at over 2,200 meters above sea level.

The team’s recent form has been a mixed bag. A 1-1 draw with Jamaica in their final warm-up fixture wasn’t exactly the confidence-boosting send-off anyone was hoping for.

Born on April 10, 1952, Broos has indicated that this World Cup will be his final act as a manager. He plans to retire after the tournament.