Pitso Mosimane has once again taken charge of the Bafana Bafana team; however, his return comes at an extremely inopportune time for those hoping to avoid political intrigue in South African football.
During his introduction, he was accompanied by SAFA President Danny Jordan and his deputy Linda Zwane. This occurred a month after the NEC, which votes in elections and determines the direction of South African football, was approved.
The new coach has barely had time to settle in when he finds himself overshadowed by one of the most controversial elections in SAFA in recent years. On Saturday, Danny Jordan and Sandile Zungu will compete for the position of SAFA president, with Zungu's campaign increasingly turning the election into a fight over governance, accountability, and the direction of South African football.
Mosimane cannot control these processes, but he can determine the focus of the Bafana team, and that focus must be directed exclusively towards football.
Bafana Bafana
Mosimane's return is complex. He was appointed following the departure of Hugo Bruus, who managed the team after the 2026 World Cup, where Bafana qualified for the playoffs for the first time. Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane announced the preliminary squad for the Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea, as well as for a friendly match against Egypt on October 4, 2026.
He inherits a team with higher expectations than existed when Bruus arrived. However, while Mosimane prepares for the Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifiers, the organization around him is preparing for elections that could radically change SAFA. This presents a dangerous combination.
The national team should not become collateral damage in the administrative power struggle. Mosimane has already made changes to his technical staff, bringing in seasoned specialists Kabelo Rangoaagu and Musi Matlaba, and subsequently adding Moreno Ramoreboli as an assistant.
His current priority must be ensuring the functionality of this team, and there is little sense in Mosimane becoming another figure in the political drama surrounding SAFA. The coach has enough football problems to solve.
Maintaining World Cup Momentum
He needs to identify players capable of carrying Bafana forward after the World Cup, formulate his playing philosophy, and ensure that the national team does not lose the momentum created by its historic campaign. The last thing Bafana needs is the coach's attention divided between the locker room and the boardroom.
This does not mean, however, that Mosimane should ignore what is happening around him. The SAFA administration directly affects his work. Issues concerning contracts, preparation, travel, player welfare, facilities, and relations between the national team and the association are relevant.
However, there is a difference between understanding politics and being consumed by it. This distinction will be crucial, and the current electoral battle is already heated. The coach must accept full responsibility if Bafana fails to improve its results or regresses from its current form.
Sandile Zungu accused the Jordan camp of using 'dirty tricks' against regions supporting his campaign, adding tension ahead of Saturday's vote. Mosimane must stay out of it. Not because politics is unimportant, but because Bafana is more important. The biggest test of his return will not be winning a political dispute in SAFA, but the ability to build a national team capable of winning football matches. His first task is fast approaching, as Guinea and Eritrea await him in the AFCON 2027 qualifiers, leaving little room for distractions.
Mosimane returned to Bafana with high expectations, and he must ensure that this time, the noise surrounding the national team remains outside the locker room.
