Bafana Bafana begin new Africa Cup of Nations era under Pitso Mosimane

Bafana Bafana begin their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Guinea at Orlando Stadium on Saturday, with new manager Pitso Mosimane expected to build on the progress made under Hugo Broos.

The match is one South Africa cannot afford to mishandle as they start the journey towards next year’s continental finals, which will be hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Bafana will face Eritrea on Wednesday in their second qualifier.

South Africa’s last failure to qualify for an international tournament came four years ago, when they missed out on the World Cup in Qatar. Broos’s team came close to reaching the final qualifying round, but their hopes ended after Ghana were awarded a controversial penalty.

Since then, Bafana have become regular qualifiers for major tournaments and have begun to re-establish themselves as a competitive force in international football.

After Molefi Ntseki’s side failed to qualify for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, Broos took charge and guided South Africa to the 2023 tournament in Ivory Coast. Bafana arrived as clear underdogs but exceeded expectations by reaching the semi-finals and securing the bronze medal.

That result was South Africa’s first medal at the event since 2000.

Mosimane succeeded Broos after the World Cup campaign, in which Bafana reached the knockout stage for the first time. He takes over a side with considerable confidence and a strong home record, having lost only one official home match during Broos’s five-year tenure.

Even that defeat was not the result of an on-field loss. South Africa were punished for selecting an ineligible Teboho Mokoena against Lesotho during World Cup 2026 qualifying.

Mosimane has also retained most of the players originally selected by Broos, giving him a settled group with which to begin his tenure. South Africa should be aiming to collect at least four points from their opening two qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea.

A positive start will be important if Bafana are to reach next year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals. At the same time, Mosimane must be given the opportunity to introduce his own philosophy and tactical approach rather than being judged solely against Broos.

Supporters should back the new manager as he attempts to improve on his predecessor’s achievements, some of which were helped by more relaxed qualifying requirements.

South Africa are entitled to expect a competent performance from Bafana, but excessive pressure would be unhelpful. Qualifying for major international tournaments has now become the minimum requirement, and Mosimane’s first task is to maintain that standard.