Pitso Mosimane explains decision to leave Helman Mkhalele out of Bafana Bafana technical team

Newly appointed Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane says he has chosen to build his technical team with trusted members of his own staff, rather than retain former assistant coach Helman Mkhalele.

Mosimane was officially unveiled by the South African Football Association (SAFA) as the successor to Hugo Broos at a ceremony held at SAFA House on Tuesday morning.

The new coach confirmed two members of his backroom staff during the unveiling, but said the assistant coach position remained vacant. That announcement prompted questions about the future of Mkhalele, who had worked as Broos’ assistant for five years.

Mkhalele had played an important role within the national-team set-up during Broos’ tenure and had been recommended by the Belgian as his preferred successor. However, Mosimane has decided to follow his own plans and appoint personnel he knows and trusts.

Asked why Mkhalele had not been retained, Mosimane referred to the established practice of coaches selecting their own technical staff.

“Well, everyone, and every coach has his own technical team, right? And I always love to refer to practical questions, and I’ll tell you about Ancelotti. You know who he takes? He takes his son, and they’ve won a lot of trophies,” Mosimane remarked.

The reference was to Carlo Ancelotti, whose son Davide has worked as part of his father’s coaching staff. Mosimane used the example to underline his view that a head coach should be able to choose the people who will help implement his methods.

The coach named Kabelo Rangoaga as Bafana Bafana’s fitness coach and Musi Matlaba as the performance analysis coach. He did not identify an assistant coach, leaving that role to be filled at a later stage.

Mosimane’s appointment marks a new chapter for South Africa’s senior men’s team after Broos’ spell in charge. The immediate priority will be the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, with Bafana Bafana drawn in Group D.

South Africa will begin their qualification programme with a home match against Guinea on 26 September. Four days later, on 30 September, they will travel to Egypt to play Eritrea at a neutral venue.

The limited time before those fixtures means Mosimane will have little opportunity to ease into the role. His first task will be to settle the remaining details of his technical staff while preparing Bafana Bafana for a qualifying campaign that begins almost immediately after his unveiling.