While Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos may have been in office since 2021, the Belgian mentor showcased interest in the South African hot seat years prior.

South Africa have been on an upward trajectory since Broos’ arrival in May 2021 and has given Bafana fans much hope during the last couple of years.

After leading Bafana to the semi-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Broos and his charges are well on their way to qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and are currently top of Group C after six matches played.

Nonetheless, with Broos in charge of Bafana for some four years now, did you know that the Belgian applied for the job in 2017?

The BBC reported that Broos applied for the Bafana post 11 days after winning the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations title with Cameroon.

SAFA were linked with a number of top coaches and managers at the time, most notably with the likes of Benni McCarthy and Roberto Mancini.

However, the job was given to Stuart Baxter, who took charge of South Africa for the second-time until 2019.