Jomo Sono backs Pitso Mosimane’s decision to reject reported R5m Bafana offer

Former Bafana Bafana coach Jomo Sono says Pitso Mosimane was right to reject a reported R5 million salary offer from the South African Football Association (SAFA), revealing that he was paid R100,000 a month when he served as the national team’s caretaker manager.

Mosimane was unveiled as the new Bafana Bafana head coach earlier this week after prolonged negotiations between his representatives and SAFA. The two sides eventually reached an agreement, although reports said the coach initially turned down an offer worth R5 million.

Sono, who famously discovered Mosimane as a player, said he would also have rejected the proposal after learning that previous head coach Hugo Broos had been paid substantially more.

SAFA told the portfolio committee on sports, arts and culture last week that Broos had received R16.8 million. Sono referred to the figure as R15 million while explaining why he believed Mosimane had been justified in holding out for improved terms.

“This time they have the right choice in coach, South African and give him what he wants,” he told Thabiso Mosia on Radio 2000.

“Because I knew that Pitso would never take R5 million when he knew that Broos got R15 million.

“Even I, I wouldn’t take it. I would say ‘No, I don’t want it. I want the same as the white man.”

Sono also disclosed the salary he received when he took temporary charge of Bafana Bafana in 1998. He was appointed caretaker coach after Clive Barker was dismissed before the Africa Cup of Nations, subsequently guiding South Africa to the final.

“If I can tell you my salary, you will collapse. I was a caretaker, I got a R100 000 a month for coaching Bafana,” he stated.

“And being a caretaker coach I was there for three months. It was not bad, because I managed to buy bread…

“Because I love my country, I said I would do it. For me, it was not money but about the country.”

Sono said the difference between the salaries offered to South African coaches and their foreign counterparts had existed for many years. He argued that the disparity reflected a wider preference for overseas brands, even when the product was made locally.

“The Brazilian coaches got millions, while they were national team coach. And then there were Shakes Mashaba, myself, Trott Moloto, Clive Barker, we were never near those amounts,” he added.

“We all carried on, we all did the job. It’s because we were South Africans.

“If you buy cloth, and you make two shirts out out of that cloth and one shirt you put the label “made in South Africa” and the other “made in America” – which one will the South Africans buy? Made in America, but they are from South Africa, both of them…

“It was the same thing with the coaches.”

When asked about Mosimane’s salary as Bafana Bafana head coach, SAFA president Dr. Danny Jordaan declined to answer.