Broos Critiques Players' Vacation Mentality at National Camp

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has revealed that when he first took over the national team, many players treated call-ups as a vacation — an opportunity to relax, enjoy good meals, and then return to their clubs.

The Belgian tactician stated that he had to completely overhaul the squad’s mentality toward training and professionalism, noting that players who failed to adapt were never called up again.

Broos’ comments came after Bafana Bafana sealed their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a commanding 3-0 victory over Rwanda at Mbombela Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Reflecting on his early challenges, Broos didn’t mince his words.

“You know, when I came here in the first year, players came to the national team as if it were a holiday,” he said.

“They’d say, ‘I’m going to the national team for a week, then back to my club — a nice life.’ That was the mentality.”

Since then, Broos has instilled a stronger work ethic and competitive edge in his players — results that have been visible on the pitch. Under his leadership, Bafana Bafana won bronze at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in the Ivory Coast and have since qualified for the next AFCON, set to take place later this year in Morocco.

“I said already that in the beginning I had to stop the training several times and tell the guys, ‘Guys, this is training. You understand what training is?” added Broos.

“It’s training, what you have to do in the game.

“It’s not okay, one hour and a half, you enjoy it and play a little game, blah blah, no. This is as important as the game later and it was not easy to find those players, because they all came and had little things here, little there and they are expected to be in the team.”

“You can’t achieve anything with such a mentality. Secondly, you need hunger and hunger to achieve something, and this is normal that all the players don’t have that hunger anymore. I know that. When I was 32, it was a big difference because at 32 you have it already. I want players who are hungry and want to achieve something. Not only being in the national team for 10 days, it’s a nice life, good meals and then going home again, no.”

“This is hard work. I had players in the past that came and only once with the national team [and I didn’t call them again] because this was not the mentality that I wanted.

“You see what you can achieve and not only because you have talent. We are not Lionel Messi; we are not Cristiano Ronaldo, they have enough talent, but all the rest have to work very hard so that you can achieve something.”

“You see the boys working. You saw how they started [the game on Tuesday], the mentality they showed, and the fighting spirit was in the team and that is what I want.”

Broos’ demanding standards appear to be paying off — Bafana Bafana are now unbeaten in 22 matches, a run that underscores their transformation under his leadership.