The second coming of Pitso Mosimane to Bafana Bafana

Pitso Mosimane has returned to coach Bafana Bafana, 14 years after his first stint as the boss of the senior national men’s team ended not long after a failed 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying attempt. The team embarrassingly celebrated as if they had qualified, only to discover that they had not done enough.

Bafana played their final qualifier against Sierra Leone in October 2011, resulting in a 0-0 stalemate. Mosimane and his players believed that finishing tied on points with Niger and holding a superior goal difference meant they had qualified.

But Confederation of African Football rules dictated that head-to-head records between the tied teams took precedence over overall goal difference. Because Niger held the better head-to-head record, Bafana Bafana were eliminated.

Mature Mosimane

Mosimane has expanded his CV extensively since then, becoming one of Africa’s all-time coaching greats. In his second coming as Bafana Bafana coach, he succeeds Belgian Hugo Broos, who departed in July after a memorable five years in South Africa.

Broos was appointed in 2021. He transformed Bafana Bafana by instilling discipline, self-belief and a winning mentality that led to the team qualifying for successive Afcons. This may seem like a basic achievement, but before Broos no coach had managed it.

In 2026, the Belgian took the men’s senior national team to their first World Cup since the 2010 edition. It was the highlight of his time in South Africa.

He also guided Bafana Bafana to a third-place finish at the 2023 Afcon. Their last Afcon podium finish was bronze in 2000.

“Way before I was appointed, I have praised coach Hugo Broos for what he has done,” Mosimane said.

“He has laid a very good foundation for us; he has done exceptionally well. I appreciate the work that he has done, which we all know.”

He said: “The main focus [for my team and me] is for Bafana Bafana to qualify for the next Afcon. It’s important for Bafana Bafana to go back to the World Cup. Those are the major points we have to fulfil.”

Much like Broos, Mosimane brings an abundance of self-confidence. He also speaks his mind. Or in the slang of the current generation, Mosimane “has no filter”. When he is happy, he expresses it. The same is true when he is unhappy.

However, he has also matured greatly since he was last in charge of the national team.

The journey to Bafana Bafana

After eight successful years at Mamelodi Sundowns, from 2012 to 2020, Mosimane joined Al Ahly where he led the African heavyweights to three African Champions League finals on the trot, winning two. This added to his first Champions League title, which he won with Sundowns in 2016.

After leaving Egypt and Al Ahly, he coached teams in the Middle East.

His first foray into the Gulf was in 2022, at Al-Ahli in Jeddah. He took the club from the second tier to the top flight, before resigning in mid-2023. His most recent coaching stint was with Iranian club Esteghlal, which he left in 2025. He has been unattached since, focusing on his academy and starting a podcast.

One of Mosimane’s mentors, Jomo Sono (who is also a former Bafana Bafana coach), backed the 62-year-old to perform to expectations and build on the foundation laid by Broos over the past five years.

The first target will be to qualify for the 2027 Afcon, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Bafana are grouped with the Kenyans, Guinea and Eritrea.

“Pitso is a hard worker. People who don’t know will say he is arrogant and he took it from me. But sometimes in South African football circles, arrogance helps. Pitso tells it like it is; a yes is a yes and a no is a no. It’s the second time he’s coaching the national team and I hope he will take us to dizzying heights,” Sono said on Radio 2000’s Game On programme.

“When I say arrogance helps, I mean that you have to believe in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself and your talent, you have to listen to every Tom, Dick and Harry criticising you.

“I don’t mind criticism, because sometimes it builds. Pitso believes that he is the best. That’s why he has achieved so much. He’s never swayed by critics or the noise of the supporters,” he said.

The technical team

Mosimane has not retained the staff members of Broos’s tenure, opting to recruit people with whom he has worked throughout his journey as a coach. They include fitness and conditioning coach Kabelo Rangoaga and performance analyst Musi Matlaba.

Recently the South African Football Association (Safa) prised Morena Ramoreboli from Botswana to serve as Mosimane’s assistant coach.

Ramoreboli leaves Botswana’s soccer sphere having made a lasting contribution at both club and national team level. During his time with Jwaneng Galaxy he won two Botswana Premier League titles and guided the club to the African Champions League group stage on two occasions.

His teams also recorded notable continental victories over South African giants Orlando Pirates and Moroccan powerhouse Wydad AC. His most significant achievement came when he guided Botswana to Afcon qualification for the first time since 2012. It was just the second time the Zebras had qualified for the tournament in their history.

“Morena Ramoreboli has made a meaningful and lasting contribution to Botswana football, both at Jwaneng Galaxy and with the Zebras. His role in guiding the national team to the Africa Cup of Nations after a 12-year absence will remain an important part of his legacy. We would naturally have preferred to retain him. But we understand the significance of this opportunity and respect his decision to take the next step in his coaching career,” said Botswana Football Association president Oabile Tariq Babitseng.

Mosimane has already said he will not fiddle too much with the squad that Broos built during his time in South Africa – which means core players such as goalkeeper Ronwen Williams and midfield maestro Teboho Mokoena remain integral, as do youngsters such as Relebohile Mofokeng, Ime Okon and Olwethu Makhanya. DM