Coach Pitso Mosimane takes charge of South Africa’s national team for a second time
In South Africa, Pitso Mosimane has returned as head coach of the men’s national football team, Bafana Bafana, 14 years after the end of his first spell. He replaced Belgian Hugo Broos, who left the team in July after five years in charge, Daily Maverick reports.
Mosimane’s first spell ended after unsuccessful qualification for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. In October 2011, the team drew 0-0 with Sierra Leone and mistakenly celebrated qualifying for the tournament. South Africa had the same number of points as Niger and a better goal difference, but Confederation of African Football rules gave priority to head-to-head results. Niger had the advantage by that criterion, so Bafana Bafana were eliminated.
Team goals
Mosimane said that Broos had laid a good foundation for the team and praised his work. He named qualification for the next Africa Cup of Nations and returning the national team to the World Cup as the main goals of the new coaching staff.
Broos took charge of Bafana Bafana in 2021. During his tenure, the team qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations twice in a row, won bronze medals at the 2023 tournament and qualified for the 2026 World Cup — for the first time since the 2010 World Cup.
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Mosimane’s first specific goal will be qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. In the qualifying group, South Africa will play against Kenya, Guinea and Eritrea.
Coaching staff
The 62-year-old specialist did not retain members of Broos’ staff and brought in specialists he had worked with before. The staff includes fitness coach Kabelo Rangoaga and analyst Musi Matlaba. The South African Football Association also brought Morena Ramoreboli from Botswana in as assistant head coach.
Before returning to the national team, Mosimane spent eight years working with Mamelodi Sundowns, and with Al Ahly he reached the final of the African Champions League three times in a row and won the tournament twice. He won his first title in the competition with Sundowns in 2016. After working in Egypt, the coach led Al-Ahli of Jeddah and Iran’s Esteghlal, which he left in 2025.
Mosimane also said that he does not plan to make significant changes to the squad assembled by Broos. Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, midfielder Teboho Mokoena, as well as young players Relebohile Mofokeng, Ime Okon and Olwethu Makhanya are expected to remain important to the team.
