Hugo Broos warns Pitso Mosimane over outside influence if he returns to Bafana Bafana

Former Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos says Pitso Mosimane could face a familiar challenge if he returns to lead South Africa, warning that pressure from club owners and agents could influence selections around the national team.

Mosimane has already been approved by the SAFA NEC as the preferred candidate to take over the Bafana Bafana job, with South Africa preparing for their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

A second spell would return Mosimane to the position he held between 2010 and 2012. He has also worked with Bafana Bafana as an assistant and caretaker coach, while becoming a three-time CAF Champions League-winning manager.

Broos, who spent five years in charge of South Africa, believes the environment surrounding the national team would be one of the biggest tests for Mosimane.

“Maybe so. You know, South Africa still doesn’t have a manager. The candidate is Pitso Mosimane, a successful South African coach,” Broos told Het Nieuwsblad.

“However, they know that if he comes, they will go back five years in time.

“Club owners and agents calling managers to influence the squad. I kicked them all out. If one called, I said bluntly: ‘I don’t talk with agents’.”

Broos established himself as one of the most successful coaches in South Africa’s history during his time with Bafana Bafana. He guided the team to third place at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations before taking them to the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

That World Cup run marked South Africa’s first-ever appearance in the knockout phase of the competition.

The Belgian has now pointed to his refusal to allow outside interests to affect squad decisions as one of the factors behind his success with the national team. His comments underline the potential difficulties Mosimane could encounter if he is appointed for a second stint.

The appointment comes as Bafana Bafana prepare for their next Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. Mosimane’s proposed return would therefore combine previous experience of the role with the expectation of guiding the national team through another important period.

Broos’ warning centres on the influence that can surround international football, particularly when club owners and agents attempt to contact managers about player selections. During his tenure, he says he responded by cutting off that communication.

South Africa’s next manager will inherit a national side that, under Broos, reached the latter stages of both the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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