Pitso Mosimane urged to make Safa pay rise performance-based

Pitso Mosimane should accept a performance-based deal with the South African Football Association (Safa) rather than insist on receiving the same salary as Hugo Broos from the outset, according to Mihlali Baleka.

Mosimane is widely regarded as one of Africa’s leading coaches and has built an impressive record in club football. His credentials for the Bafana Bafana job are not in question, but the terms of his return to the national team have become a central issue in negotiations.

Safa has offered the 62-year-old R10 million a year to replace Broos. That figure is considered modest compared with the R16.8 million the now-retired Belgian was earning annually.

However, Broos did not receive that amount immediately after taking charge in May 2021. His salary increased over time, while his five-year spell in charge delivered significant progress for South African football.

Under Broos, Bafana Bafana not only qualified for major tournaments but also competed successfully in them. His achievements meant the eventual salary package was justified by results and the transformation he helped oversee.

Mosimane is preparing for a second spell as South Africa coach and will need to repair the damage caused by his first tenure, which ended with his dismissal. He must also demonstrate that he can deliver at international level and is not only a successful club coach.

There is confidence that Mosimane has the experience and ability to build on the platform created by Broos. The challenge, however, may require patience as he establishes his own methods and authority.

Mosimane has praised Broos’ direct approach and believes they share similar values, particularly in protecting players and supporting them beyond their responsibilities on the pitch. Both coaches have also been described as fatherly figures by those around them.

Despite that respect, Mosimane has traditionally preferred to operate within a system designed around his own footballing philosophy. Rather than adapting fully to an existing structure, he is likely to expect the structure at Bafana Bafana to accommodate his methods.

That could affect his approach to team selection. Broos was clear that the future of the national side belonged to younger players and that there was limited room for established veterans. Mosimane has generally taken a different view, believing any player good enough to help the team should remain eligible, regardless of age.

Mosimane’s desire to control recruitment is also linked to his accountability as head coach. He has consistently wanted a decisive role in selecting players because he, rather than the scouts, would ultimately lose his job if the team failed to produce results.

The same principle applies to his backroom staff. He is particularly loyal to those who share his vision, including fitness coach Kabelo Rangoaga and analyst Musi Matlaba.

That loyalty is reportedly behind the delay in finalising an agreement between Mosimane, his agency MT Sports Marketing and Management, and Safa. The coach’s camp is understood to want permanent contracts for his backroom team, which it considers fair compensation.

The demand underlines Mosimane’s belief in his trusted staff and their importance in helping Bafana Bafana qualify for the 2027 Afcon in the Pamoja region. His ambitions extend beyond qualification, with the aim of challenging for the title.

But preparations are already under pressure, with qualifying matches for the continental tournament due to begin in three weeks. A delayed appointment or slow start could attract criticism, particularly if Mosimane and his staff are paid at Broos’ level immediately without first producing comparable results.

Negotiations have also reportedly been complicated by Mosimane’s decision not to grant Safa image rights, including rights connected to his podcast, Changing the Game with Pitso Mosimane. That issue is significant because reports suggest he has negotiated for Bafana Bafana sponsors Adidas and Standard Bank to compensate him when his likeness or branded clothing is used.

The most practical solution may therefore be for Mosimane’s camp to accept most of the current terms while including a clause allowing the agreement to be renegotiated later on the basis of results and performance.

That arrangement may not deliver the maximum financial return immediately, but it would give Mosimane a clear route to securing greater rewards by succeeding with Bafana Bafana.