Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos believes his influence has sparked a youth revolution in the Premier Soccer League (PSL).
Since his appointment in 2021, Broos has consistently championed youth development, advocating for the inclusion of young talents in both the national team and the PSL.
His 2023 AFCON squad (who would go on to secure a podium finish at the tournament), featuring promising youngsters like Jayden Adams, Oswin Appolis, and Thapelo Maseko, showcased the potential of South Africa’s next generation of footballers.
Broos’ impact on the PSL is evident in the increased number of young players being given opportunities at top clubs. Teams like Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, and Stellenbosch FC have embraced a youth-centric approach, recognizing the importance of nurturing young talent.
“As you know, from the first day I was here, I was talking about young players, and we didn’t have them at that moment,” said Broos. “When I saw the line-ups of the PSL clubs at that time, it was all players around the age of 26 and 28 and older.
“And if you talked about a young player at that time, people came to me with names of players aged 26 and 27. Those were deemed young players then.
“So I think I started something with the national team and proved that also young players can be very good and can achieve results, and I think that in the clubs, they are following a little bit my example when you see now”.
“It is true that in every team now you find young players, and maybe it was easier for the small clubs to do that because they have to do it due to the question of not having money to buy players, but now we are also seeing it in the big teams, Pirates, Sundowns even Chiefs, your [Mduduzi] Shabalalas, all those players are young.”
The Belgian tactician credits his emphasis on youth development for inspiring PSL clubs to follow suit. He notes that while smaller clubs may have been forced to rely on young players due to financial constraints, even the big clubs are now recognizing the value of youth.
However, Broos cautions against rushing young players into the national team too early. He believes that careful selection and measured exposure are essential for their long-term development.
“I think it is a good evolution in South African football because young players are the future, you see Stellenbosch, and I can name other clubs…,” Broos continued.
“…You must always be careful with young players because you can call them too soon, and it is not good for a young player if you call them for Bafana Bafana and the next three to five camps, you can’t call them anymore because they are no longer playing at their clubs or maybe you saw at that time that it was maybe too soon for Bafana Bafana.
“But I keep my eyes open, and I’m very happy with what’s happening in the PSL. Seeing young players playing can only be good for South African football.”
Bafana Bafana gears up for action in their final AFCON 2025 qualifiers against Uganda (15 November 2024) and South Sudan (19 November 2024) respectively.