Pitso Mosimane confirms talks with SAFA as Bafana Bafana future under review

Pitso Mosimane has confirmed he has held discussions with the South African Football Association (SAFA) about the Bafana Bafana job, as uncertainty continues over whether Hugo Broos will remain in charge of the national team.

Broos is approaching the end of his contract after an impressive spell that included a bronze medal at AFCON 2024 and strong progress in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, but SAFA has so far denied that his deal has been extended and is assessing options for the post.

Mosimane, long regarded as one of the leading candidates should SAFA opt for a change, spoke publicly about the situation on Thursday during the launch of his new book, Youth Football Coaching Manual, in Johannesburg.

Mosimane: SAFA sounding out ‘succession plan’

Asked directly whether he could become the next Bafana Bafana head coach, the former Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly boss said he was aware of wider conversations within SAFA about the future technical direction of the national team.

“Well, the Bafana job? I don’t know when contracts of – I guess you’re talking about coach Hugo Broos? I don’t know when the contract ends. Is it [the position] available or not?” Mosimane said.

“But I know that the federation has spoken to a lot of us about somebody to come in, a succession plan: [Things like] What you want? What are you going to do? What’s your plan? How do we take Bafana to a better level?”

His comments are the clearest indication yet that SAFA has been consulting senior coaches about potential scenarios for life after Broos, even as it continues to publicly insist that no decision has been taken on the Belgian’s future.

Raising standards and ‘leaving the jersey in a better place’

Mosimane, who previously coached Bafana Bafana between 2010 and 2012, used the platform to emphasise his belief that the national team must aim higher than simply qualifying for major tournaments.

“I always say that it’s important to leave the jersey in a better place. Yeah, there’s room, right? There’s room for improvement. I left Sundowns with the Champions League; did they have the second one?” he said, drawing a comparison with his successful spell at Mamelodi Sundowns.

“So every stage and every level can be reached, can be improved. It’s not the first time we qualify for the World Cup, right? Carlos Perreira did it, right? It’s not the first time we won the AFCON. Clive Barker won it, right?”

Mosimane argued that South Africa should target deeper runs at major tournaments rather than celebrating only qualification or early knockout appearances.

“So we can maybe talk about going into the next round of knockouts. Yes, that we can celebrate. But being in semi-finals, quarter-finals, have we done that? Let’s be honest, right? So that bar, it is high, but has been achieved before,” he continued.

“So we cannot just say ‘the bar is too high’. I left Sundowns, I won the treble. How many times have they won it since I left? You know. So anyone can do it.

“No one is indispensable.”

SAFA weighing options as qualifiers approach

SAFA president Danny Jordaan and his executive are understood to be assessing candidates while Broos’ situation remains unresolved, with Mosimane widely reported to be at the forefront of any succession shortlist.

An appointment for Mosimane would represent a second spell in charge of Bafana Bafana, following his first tenure from 2010 to 2012, and would come after he has established himself as one of Africa’s most decorated coaches by winning multiple CAF Champions League titles.

Bafana Bafana are due to start their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign in September and have been drawn in a group that includes Kenya, adding time pressure to SAFA’s decision over whether to continue with Broos or move in a new direction.

For now, Mosimane has signalled both his willingness to engage with SAFA and his conviction that South Africa’s national team should be competing consistently at the sharp end of continental and global tournaments, while the federation continues its review of the coaching position.