Mosimane confirms psychologists added to Bafana Bafana support team

Pitso Mosimane says Bafana Bafana now have professional psychological support available to help players manage personal difficulties away from football.

The head coach revealed the addition to the national team’s technical setup after the South African Football Association (SAFA) faced criticism following the death of former Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Jayden Adams. Reports alleged that Adams had been dealing with depression, including while he was in camp with Bafana Bafana at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Speaking to journalists at Milpark Stadium on Monday, Mosimane said the squad included players from different backgrounds and that the coaching staff recognised they could face challenges unrelated to training, tactics or performances.

The comments came ahead of South Africa’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Kenya.

“ You always have it, them having a go at each other, in a good way, it’s humour sometimes, it’s okay. But if it’s deeper, we have psychologists always with us, we always have something, some we cannot disclose. You find that we have family issues, which we have now,” Mosimane said.

He explained that those concerns could range from bereavement to illness affecting a close relative.

“When I say family issues I mean challenges within the family members. Brooklyn (Poggenpoel) had a bereavement right, which we all know. Sometimes you find that a family member within the immediate family is sick or in hospital, Teboho (Mokoena) had an issue last time.

“Sometimes it’s other issues, you never know what is coming and that is beyond training, talent, tactics, it’s emotional support, sometimes we don’t know how long it takes. It depends how deep it is, some might play with it, some might have a challenge,” the experienced coach added.

Coaches cannot handle every issue

Mosimane said the responsibility of the coaching staff extended beyond monitoring players’ physical condition, but stressed that specialist support was essential when problems went beyond their expertise.

“That’s our job as coaches, we don’t just check the bodies, also the social side of the game, so we do our best to try and support, it’s so good to have someone who is clinically or academically the right person to handle things beyond us, because we’re not psychologists,” the 62-year-old said.

Bafana Bafana will face the Harambee Stars at Orlando Stadium on Friday before travelling to Kenya for the return fixture on Tuesday.