Majoro credits squad continuity for Mosimane’s perfect Bafana return

Lehlohonolo Majoro believes Pitso Mosimane’s decision to preserve the core of Bafana Bafana’s squad, rather than make sweeping changes, has been the foundation of his unbeaten return as South Africa coach.

Mosimane has won each of his first three matches during his second spell in charge. Bafana began their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a 2-1 victory over Guinea and a 5-0 win against Eritrea before beating Egypt 1-0 in a friendly.

Former Bafana striker Majoro says Mosimane understood that the national team already had a strong base and did not need to be rebuilt from the beginning.

“Coach Pitso said he didn’t have to change much and him returning for a second time doesn’t mean he has to change everything, the foundation has already been laid,” he said.

“There are players there who have been there for a while and yes there are inclusions of fresh faces but it’s built on a stable group of players.”

Mosimane has kept a group of experienced internationals while adding new players to increase competition for places. Majoro believes that approach has enabled the coach to make an immediate difference without unsettling the team’s existing structure.

The manager is also aiming to develop enough depth for Bafana to maintain their level when regular starters are unavailable or rested. Majoro said Mosimane wanted to follow the example of the Springboks, who can rely on several combinations capable of producing similar performances.

“I also heard him say he wants to replicate the Springboks in terms of depth, he wants to have 3/4 different teams and all of those teams can give you the same performance.”

That strategy was tested against Egypt, when Mosimane made wholesale changes following the emphatic victory over Eritrea. Bafana still secured a 1-0 win, completing a perfect international camp with three victories from three matches despite the changes in personnel.

Majoro believes the results also reflect a winning mentality that Mosimane has already established within the squad. He said the team had shown an ability to find a way to win even when its performance was not at its best.

“It was good for him and the group to start the qualifiers with back to back wins and even in situations where others may have felt that the performance must’ve been indifferent but they found a way to win and that’s the most important skill, if you have a team that’s willing to do anything to win than you’ve won as a coach.”

Bafana will now look to maintain that momentum in their next competitive fixtures, with the November AFCON qualifiers against Kenya providing the next test.

Mosimane’s challenge is to turn his impressive start into sustained progress, with continuity, squad depth and the ability to secure results in difficult circumstances likely to remain central to his plans.