Johannesburg | 9 August 2026

LEN KALANE

The South African Football Association’s National Executive Committee has approved the appointment of Pitso Mosimane as the new Bafana Bafana head coach, confirming his return to the national set-up more than a decade after his first spell in charge. The move, ratified at an NEC Extraordinary Meeting at SAFA House on Saturday, 8 August 2026, brings the curtain down on the search for a successor to Hugo Broos, who departed after five years at the helm.

“The NEC has approved the appointment of coach Pitso to Bafana Bafana, but we still need to tie up some loose ends. We will make a formal announcement of the coach next week,” SAFA president Dr Danny Jordaan said following the meeting.

While the appointment carries the NEC’s political backing, SAFA and Mosimane’s camp are still finalising his contract, with his remuneration package emerging as the main sticking point before an official unveiling can take place.

Who Is Pitso Mosimane?

Pitso “Jingles” Mosimane, 61, is regarded as South Africa’s most decorated football coach. He began his coaching career at SuperSport United before joining the Bafana Bafana technical team, first as a caretaker in 2006 and 2007 and later as an assistant to Carlos Alberto Parreira ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup on home soil. He was promoted to head coach following that tournament, taking permanent charge between 2010 and 2012.

It was after leaving the national team that Mosimane built the reputation that now precedes him. An eight-season stint at Mamelodi Sundowns transformed the Pretoria club into South African football’s dominant force, yielding five Premier Soccer League titles, two Nedbank Cups, two league cups and, in 2016, Sundowns’ first ever CAF Champions League title — a feat that made him the first South African coach to win the competition.

He went on to coach Egyptian giants Al Ahly, adding two further CAF Champions League titles and guiding the club to two FIFA Club World Cup bronze medal finishes. His coaching journey has since taken him to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iran, where his most recent post, at Esteghlal FC, ended in January 2025. In total, he has won more than 15 major trophies across his club career.

Mosimane’s Coaching Record at a Glance

Why the Appointment Could Benefit Bafana Bafana

Supporters of the appointment point to Mosimane’s continental pedigree as exactly what South African football needs at this stage. Broos leaves behind a national team that reached the knockout rounds of the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time in the country’s history, including a memorable win over South Korea, and a bronze medal at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. Bafana now need a coach capable of maintaining that momentum into the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign, which opens against Guinea in September.

Mosimane’s experience winning African club football’s biggest prizes, and doing so with South African players at Sundowns, is often credited with raising the standard and continental know-how of the current national team pool. Analysts have argued that the exposure South African players gained during Sundowns’ CAF campaigns under Mosimane laid some of the groundwork for Bafana’s recent revival. His familiarity with the domestic game, local players and football administration also gives him a head start that an incoming foreign coach would not have.

Possible Drawbacks and Concerns

Mosimane’s first spell in charge of Bafana Bafana is the most obvious note of caution. That tenure, from 2010 to 2012, ended without silverware and was ultimately remembered for South Africa’s failure to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, after a draw with Sierra Leone in the final qualifier compounded by confusion over the qualification requirements. He was dismissed at midnight following a home draw with Ethiopia in 2014 World Cup qualifying, and his final months in the job were marked by public friction with the media.

There are also questions about adapting a club-honed management style to the different rhythm of international football, where a coach has far less time with players between matches. Mosimane has been out of a coaching post since leaving Esteghlal in January 2025, and some will ask whether an 18-month absence from the touchline affects his readiness for an immediate, high-stakes assignment. His proposed technical team, reportedly including three assistants, would also add to the overall cost of the coaching structure, feeding into the very salary negotiations currently holding up his official unveiling.

The Remuneration Standoff: Mosimane vs Broos

Money has emerged as the main obstacle to finalising the deal. Broos reportedly earned around R1.4 million a month during his Bafana tenure — about R16.8 million a year — which reports have placed him as the third-highest-paid coach among African nations at the 2026 World Cup, behind Algeria’s Vladimir Petković.

SAFA’s initial offer to Mosimane, presented by chief financial officer Grony Hluyo, was reportedly a verbal package worth R5 million a year, roughly R417,000 a month — less than a third of what Broos was earning, and even below the reported R800,000 a month Mosimane himself was paid during his first Bafana stint in 2010. His camp is said to have rejected the offer as disrespectful given his coaching record, though SAFA has since increased its offer following Saturday’s NEC meeting, understood to roughly double the original proposal.

Mosimane’s representatives have argued that his package should be benchmarked against what Broos received, while stressing the request is not simply about chasing money. “Remuneration should not be an impediment,” one statement from his camp read, adding: “This is a commitment to country, not market value.” Mosimane has reportedly indicated a willingness to start work without drawing a salary while negotiations continue.

What Happens Next

With the NEC’s backing secured, the remaining hurdle is purely financial. SAFA has said a formal announcement is expected in the coming week once the contract, salary and composition of Mosimane’s technical team are finalised. Several members of Broos’ backroom staff, including assistant coach Helman Mkhalele, goalkeeper coach Grant Johnson and conditioning coach Kopano Melesi, remain uncertain about their futures under the incoming coach.