Pitso says yes to Bafana

The South African Football Association’s (Safa) and Pitso Mosimane’s representatives are set for crunch talks in the coming days to finalise personal terms for him to become Bafana Bafana coach.

Safa’s national executive committee (NEC) yesterday approved the appointment of Mosimane as the new coach, but there’s still a lot of work to be done before he signs on the dotted line.

Mosimane has agreed in principle to take over from Hugo Broos, whose contract came to an end last month after five successful years, but the two parties are yet to find common ground regarding personal terms.

They will have to reach agreement soon because Bafana’s first match in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers is next month against Guinea.”

During earlier discussions about Mosimane’s salary package, the two sides failed to reach agreement and are running out of time, with Safa hoping to unveil him this week.

R1m a month

Mosimane’s representatives are pushing for the same package as Broos, who is believed to have been earning more than R1m a month with other hefty costs like accommodation.

Another key issue will be the composition of Mosimane’s technical team, as he always works with his trusted technical lieutenants wherever he goes. These include fitness, strength and conditioning coach Kabelo Rangoaga and performance analyst Musi Matlaba, who have been with him since his early days at Mamelodi Sundowns.

There should not be too many problems in this area because Broos’s fitness trainer Kopano Melesi and performance analyst Sinesipho Mali have since vacated their positions.

There will also be discussions about the composition of the backroom staff, which is important at this level because they play a crucial role in assisting the players and the coach.

They will have to reach agreement soon because Bafana’s first match in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers is next month against Guinea, where they will be seeking a positive start.

After hosting Guinea, Bafana travel to Eritrea before ending the year with back-to-back clashes against Kenya, coached by legendary South African striker Benni McCarthy.

Mbokazi injury

Bafana will have to play these four matches without key defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi of MLS club Chicago Fire, who has been ruled out for the rest of the year because of a serious injury.

If Mosimane agrees to the deal and takes over, it remains to be seen how he is going to pick the squad, but the good news for him is that Broos left a side with a good balance of experience and youth.

The old hands to provide guidance at Afcon in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania next year will be Ronwen Williams, Aubrey Modiba, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Khuliso Mudau, Thalente Mbatha, Teboho Mokoena, Sphephelo Sithole, Oswin Appollis, Evidence Makgopa and Lyle Foster.

There is an abundance of younger players like Mbokazi, Ime Okon, Olwethu Makhanya, Tylon Smith, Tshepang Moremi, Shandre Campbell, Relebohile Mofokeng and Thapelo Maseko who have shown glimpses of their potential.

If he takes over, Mosimane is likely to bring in a few players of his choice, but it remains to be seen who they will be and how many changes he will make.

For Safa president Danny Jordaan, an orderly and professional finalisation of this matter is important to further endear him to his Football Transformation Forum (FTF) group, who were overwhelmingly in favour of Mosimane taking over.

Formal announcement

After yesterday’s NEC meeting, Jordaan acknowledged that the process was not yet complete. “The NEC has approved the appointment of coach Pitso to Bafana Bafana, but we still need to tie up some loose ends. We will make a formal announcement of the coach next week,” he said in a statement.

Bafana are fresh from the 2026 Fifa World Cup in North America, where they reached the knockout stages for the first time. The next assignment is to qualify for the 2027 Afcon in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

Because of the progress they have made under Broos, there’s strong belief in the country that they must push to try and win Afcon in East Africa as one of the top teams on the continent.

Mosimane is no stranger to Bafana, having worked as assistant to Carlos Alberto Parreira during the 2010 Fifa World Cup, where they failed to get out of the group stages on home soil.

He coached Bafana between 2010 and 2012, and he was fired after they failed to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

He is one of the most decorated coaches on the continent, with almost 20 major trophies that include three Caf Champions League titles and five league titles with Sundowns.

He also has two bronze medals at the Fifa Club World Cup with Egyptian giants Al Ahly and also coached Al-Ahli Saudi, Abha Club of Saudi Arabia, Al Wahda in the UAE and Esteghlal FC of Iran.