Pitsso Mosimane, the newly appointed head coach of Bafana Bafana, stated his intention to revitalize South African football by focusing on grassroots development. He emphasized that the support of all South African citizens is necessary for success.
Mosimane stated: 'Football is one place where it doesn't matter what color you are, where you come from, or who your father is; if you can play football, you will play.'
The 62-year-old specialist, whose official appointment was approved by NEC Safa last week, is ready to make every effort to achieve national excellence. This may include visiting elite South African rugby schools with the aim of 'introducing football.'
Discussing his recently released book 'Youth Football Coaching Manual' on the CheckPoint Podcast on eNCA, Mosimane noted that previously coaches worked without methodological materials or a curriculum. He decided to write a guide to 'break down how academics say; before you read, you must know your alphabet, then you can read.'
Mosimane highly values achievements in rugby and aims to replicate the success of this sport in South Africa. He observed that there are more rugby posts than football goals in any town or village. He expressed respect for rugby and even owns a Springbok national team jersey, noting the need to study how the Bokke team achieved success, which schools they attend, and what their program is.
The podcast host, Nkepile Mabuse, suggested that Mosimane collaborate with leading schools such as Paul Roos, St Alban’s College, and Paarl Boys. Mosimane responded to this by acknowledging that some local schools are not interested in introducing football.
However, when asked about the necessity of changing this situation, Mosimane did not hesitate. He stated that it is a 'good challenge.' He mentioned that the Minister of Basic Education visited the presentation of his book and said that 'the coach, it is necessary.' Mosimane added: 'We need white footballers in Bafana Bafana, we need them. Why not? They play at the youth level, but then they drop out. We need to present them in Bafana to say: 'you can play there.'
Nevertheless, for Mosimane, this goes beyond simply finding players. He is convinced that football has the power to unite the people of South Africa like few other things. He cites the example of Europe, where many Africans are in France, arguing that as long as a person can play football, they will be allowed to play, regardless of connections or origin.
Thus, for Mosimane, the task is not only to create a better Bafana Bafana but also to change South Africa's view of football—from school fields to the national team—and ensure that the next generation of talents, regardless of their background, is not lost along the way.