The statistics from the Africa Cup of Nations could influence Bafana Bafana in planning for the future.
The AFCON title has once again being won by a local coach, for the third edition running, after Emerso Fae produced a miracle to guide Ivory Coast to their third title after he was installed as caretaker coach with the tournament underway in the group stages, following the dismissal of French coach Jean-Louis Gasset.
Fae winning the title with Ivory Coast, although born in France but played for the Elephants at senior international level, followed the pattern of the last two editions of the continental tournament being won by local coaches after Senegalese Aliou Cisse inspired the Lions of Teranga to win the trophy in 2021 and Algerian national Djamel Belmadi was at the helm when the Desert Foxes were crowned champions in 2019.
In the last decade (since 2013), only Broos with Cameroon and Herve Renard with Ivory Coast, have won the AFCON as foreign coaches, as the late Stephen Keshi also led Nigeria to African glory in 2013.
Although Broos has confirmed that he is staying on as Bafana coach and has contract until 2026, the fact that he is 71 - he was the oldest coach at the recent tournament - makes his long-term future with South Africa precarious.
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In as much as Bafana need to start preparing to build the next generation of national team players, they may also need to start thinking about coaches who could succeed Broos in the long term.
"I still think and forgive me for saying this, but he (Broos) could have made additional selections that might have strengthened this team but who are we to question him when he has done so remarkably well and all we have to hope now is that we have continuity, that the exercise of preparing the next generation of players," prominent agent Mike Makaab said on Gagasi FM Sport.
"Because a lot of these players are getting on the wrong side of their football age, there's going to have to be changes and the most important thing is the right way and if we can get that right, who knows what we can achieve as a football country," he added.
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Given the overwhelming success of local coaches at the AFCON, SAFA may have to lean to that direction for a potential successor to Broos.
Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena has emerged as one of the best coaches on the continent and will be a big favourite should Broos' time with Bafana come to an end in a few years.
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