Following the departure of Hugo Broos, the National Executive Committee of the South African Football Association (SAFA) has approved the appointment of Pitso Mosimane as the new head coach of the Bafana Bafana national team.
Mosimane is preparing to return to the national squad after Hugo Broos left his position this week, having taken South Africa to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. SAFA held an extraordinary NEC meeting at SAFA House on Saturday, where committee members supported the appointment of Mosimane as the leader of the senior men's national team. However, some final details need to be settled before SAFA makes an official announcement.
SAFA President, Dr. Danny Jordan, stated after the meeting: 'The NEC has approved the appointment of coach Pitso to Bafana Bafana, but we still need to sort out some outstanding issues. We will make the official announcement about the coach next week.'
Mosimane's return marks a new phase for Bafana, as he previously managed the national team from 2010 to 2012. He left that role after the team failed to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. After that, he built a brilliant club career with Mamelodi Sundowns and Egyptian giant Al Ahly.
During his time at Sundowns, he led them to five Betway Premier League titles and achieved the club's first CAF Champions League triumph in 2016. Furthermore, Mosimane won the CAF Champions League twice with Al Ahly and became the first African coach to win the tournament with two different clubs.
Currently, the 62-year-old coach faces the challenge of continuing the progress made under Broos, who brought Bafana back to the World Cup for the first time since 2010 and helped secure participation in two consecutive Africa Cups. The timing of the appointment is also significant as Bafana prepares for the next stage of its international program, including the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations campaign. Mosimane's immediate task will be to maintain South Africa's upward trajectory and raise expectations regarding what the national team can achieve on the continental stage. SAFA is expected to officially present the new coach next week, thereby ending the uncertainty surrounding the Bafana post after Broos's departure.
