Pitso Mosimane targets AFCON glory as second Bafana Bafana spell begins

Pitso Mosimane has made winning a major trophy the central ambition of his second spell as Bafana Bafana head coach, with South Africa’s campaign beginning against Guinea in an AFCON qualifier on Saturday afternoon.

Mosimane will take charge for the first time at Orlando Amstel Arena, where victory would provide an immediate boost at the start of his four-year contract. Chicago Fire player Puso Dithejane has trained ahead of the fixture.

The coach’s initial priority is to guide South Africa to consecutive AFCON tournaments, building on the progress made under Hugo Broos during the past five years.

Under Broos, Bafana Bafana reached two AFCON tournaments, won a bronze medal at the first, and produced a historic knockout-stage finish at the recent World Cup.

Mosimane has acknowledged the work of his predecessor but said the team must now look beyond qualification and pursue honours.

“We should accept and acknowledge the job that the previous coach has done. It has been good for us,” Mosimane said. “But we have to win a cup, right? We have to try and win a cup.”

With the World Cup not regarded as a realistic target for a title, AFCON offers South Africa its clearest opportunity to win silverware. The team’s last AFCON triumph came 30 years ago, and Mosimane believes that long wait should encourage greater ambition rather than lower expectations.

“It’s been too long. I want to win a cup,” he said. “I am not saying I am going to win, but I want to win a cup. That’s why I am here. The players want to win a cup, right? If we don’t try to win a cup, what are we trying to do? To qualify again, and again?

“We can’t win the cup if we don’t qualify. We know the steps that we have to take to win the cup. That’s the objective: maybe try to win the cup in four years.”

Mosimane’s immediate task is therefore to secure qualification, but his stated objective extends beyond reaching the tournament. He wants Bafana Bafana to use the next four years to build towards a genuine challenge for the trophy.

The demands of his contract mean results will be expected quickly. If the team fails to make progress, Mosimane could face pressure early in his return to the national job, while also risking a repeat of the disappointment that marked his previous spell in charge.