Pitso Mosimane has returned to the Bafana Bafana coaching staff with the South African Football Association announcing his appointment as national team head coach today, 1 September 2026.
SAFA unveiled Mosimane at its headquarters in Nasrec, Johannesburg following months of speculation as the National Executive Committee approved his return in August.
The 62-year-old replaces Hugo Broos, who guided South Africa to a historic knockout stage appearance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and Mosimane faces an immediate challenge as Bafana Bafana’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign gets underway this month.
Mosimane begins second permanent spell as Bafana coach
Mosimane has taken up his second permanent role as Bafana Bafana coach.
He previously led the senior national team on two spells (2010-2012) after an interim stint in 2007, and CAF records his national-team record as 23 matches, with nine wins, 10 draws and four losses.
Mosimane has had a glittering career outside of the national team, including time at Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly, where he won the CAF Champions League twice, and experience in the Middle East also features heavily in his coaching career.
He inherits a team coming off a historic World Cup
Mosimane, however, is far from inheriting a team coming off a rebuilding phase.
Broos led South Africa into the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the first time the country had ever achieved that feat, and also took Bafana Bafana to third at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
That will require a combination of the work done by Mosimane’s predecessor and the new coach’s own vision.
AFCON qualification starts almost immediately
Mosimane has little time to settle in.
South Africa’s next major assignment is the qualification campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations which will be in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Bafana Bafana are in Group D with Guinea, Eritrea and Kenya, and their campaign starts with a home match against Guinea before an away clash with Eritrea at a neutral venue in Egypt.
South Africa will then face Kenya as the qualification campaign continues.
Kenya’s status as one of the tournament’s co-hosts could make it difficult for the group to get a balanced draw, as CAF reported Kenya will qualify automatically as a host, meaning only one other team from the group can qualify.
Mosimane is aware of the responsibility
Speaking at his unveiling, Mosimane described the return to the national team as a big responsibility.
He said he still has a lot to give to South African football and acknowledged the pressure of leading the national team.
The responsibility will be felt even more, however, as Bafana’s improved standing following the World Cup means the requirements for the team are higher than were ever been during some of the difficult periods before Broos took charge.
Mosimane will need to build on the existing foundation.
Technical team taking shape
Mosimane has returned with some of his trusted technical team.
Musi Matlaba and Kabelo Rangoaga have been named in an initial technical team, but the full staff is yet to be announced.
The appointment of the rest of the technical staff will be important, as Mosimane only has a short window before the AFCON qualifiers.
Why the appointment took time
SAFA’s NEC approved Mosimane’s appointment on 8 August 2026, but the unveiling didn’t happen until 1 September.
The delay came after negotiations between the football association and the coach before the agreement was finalised.
It was reported during the negotiations that the financial terms of the agreement were also discussed, but the final terms weren’t reported in the reliable sources reviewed for this report.
That means reported salary figures shouldn’t be taken as fact, unless both SAFA or Mosimane officially release the details.
What South African supporters can expect
The first test of Mosimane’s approach will come quickly.
The AFCON qualifiers will test how much of his philosophy can be implemented with little time for preparation, and aside from the immediate fixtures, the bigger challenge will be for Mosimane to balance the established players who took South Africa to the World Cup with the need to develop the squad for future competitions.
Bafana also have long-term aims beyond the AFCON campaign.
High-profile return with immediate challenge
Mosimane’s return presents a big challenge, but he has had previous success at the club level and has led the national team.
However, the circumstances are very different from his first permanent stint.
Mosimane has inherited a Bafana side which has had a historic World Cup and a squad that will be competing for qualification to another big tournament.
His immediate task is simple: get Bafana through the opening AFCON qualifiers while building on the progress made by Broos.
For South African supporters, the next few weeks will be the best chance for them to see what Mosimane’s second stint with Bafana Bafana will look like.
Source
Primary sources: South African Football Association and Confederation of African Football information about Mosimane’s appointment and the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.
South African Football Association
Editorial policy
This article was independently written using verified information from SAFA, CAF and current South African reporting.
Reported contract figures haven’t been presented as fact where the final amounts weren’t officially confirmed, and the article also draws a distinction between Mosimane’s confirmed appointment and future objectives that have had to wait.
Disclaimer
Football fixtures, squad selections and technical-staff arrangements can change, and readers should check SAFA and CAF for the latest information.
This article is intended for news and information purposes and doesn’t represent an official stance from SAFA or Pitso Mosimane.
