Since South Africa’s return to international football in 1992, Bafana Bafana has been led by numerous coaches, each contributing to the national team’s history. Here is a breakdown of the team’s coaches and their tenures:

Current:

Hugo Broos (2021–Present)

The Belgian coach has revitalized the team, guiding them to a third-place finish at the 2023 Afcon in Côte d’Ivoire. Bafana Bafana is currently on track to qualify for the 2025 Afcon in Morocco and the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.

Previous:

Jeff Butler (1992)

Appointed as the first coach of Bafana Bafana following South Africa’s re-admission to international football. Unfortunately, he lost the position the same year due to underperformance.

Stanley “Screamer” Tshabalala (1992)

Tshabalala held the position for a brief three months.

Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba (1992)

Mashaba managed the team for a single match against Congo.

Augusto Palacios (1992–1994)

Palacios led the team but failed to secure qualification for the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations.

Clive Barker (1994–1997)

Barker is celebrated for leading South Africa to victory in the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations. Additionally, he guided the team to its first World Cup qualification in 1998 (France).

Jomo Sono (1998)

Sono coached the team during the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Burkina Faso and was instrumental in securing qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. The team achieved a commendable finish in Burkina Faso.

Phillipe Troussier (1998)

Troussier managed the team during the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, though their campaign ended early.

Trott Moloto (1998–2000)

Under Moloto, Bafana Bafana secured third place in the 2000 Afcon, held in Ghana and Nigeria.

Carlos Queiroz (2000–2002)

The Portuguese coach helped South Africa qualify for the 2002 World Cup but was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2002 Afcon in Mali.

April “Styles” Phumo (2002–2003)

Phumo led the team to the 2004 Afcon in Tunisia, where they exited at the group stage.

Stuart Baxter (2003–2004 and 2016–2019)

Baxter guided South Africa to the quarterfinals of the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup in the United States but failed to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Ted Dumitru (2005–2006)

Dumitru’s tenure included the 2006 Afcon in Egypt, where South Africa lost all their matches without scoring a single goal.

Pitso Mosimane (2006–2012)

Mosimane initially served as an assistant coach before taking over as head coach. He was in charge during a transitional period for the team.

Carlos Alberto Parreira (2007–2008)

The Brazilian coach managed the team during the 2008 Afcon in Ghana but resigned after a disappointing first-round elimination.

Joel Santana (2008–2009)

Santana led the squad to a fourth-place finish in the 2009 Confederations Cup, held in South Africa. His tenure lasted 16 months.

Steve Komphela (2012)

Komphela served briefly, overseeing two matches: a 3-0 friendly win against Gabon and a 1-1 draw with Botswana in a World Cup qualifier.

Gordon Igesund (2012–2014)

Igesund’s term saw South Africa’s disappointing performances in the 2013 Afcon and the 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN). The team also failed to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Molefi Ntseki (2019–2021)

Ntseki’s failure to qualify for the 2022 Afcon in Cameroon, particularly after a loss to Sudan, led to his dismissal.