Pitso Mosimane unveils youth coaching blueprint in bid to transform South African football

Pitso Mosimane has launched a youth football coaching manual he believes can help overhaul South Africa’s player development system by shifting attention from elite football to the game’s grassroots.

The former Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly coach unveiled The Youth Football Coaching Manual at an event in Sandton on Thursday, attended by senior political and football figures from South Africa and elsewhere on the continent.

Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi, South African Football Association president Danny Jordaan, Gauteng department of education MEC Lebogang Maile, Young Africans chairman Hersi Said and Botswana Football Association president Tariq Babitseng were among those present for the launch.

Mosimane’s publication, built on more than 20 years of coaching experience in Africa and abroad, sets out a structured model for long-term player development based on established coaching principles and internationally recognised youth development frameworks.

Focus on long-term development

At the heart of the manual is a call for coaches to move away from chasing short-term results in youth competitions and instead build age-appropriate programmes that prioritise the long-term growth of young players.

It argues that children’s progress should be measured by their technical, physical, mental and social development rather than by trophies and league positions at a young age.

The manual also proposes a more active role for parents, positioning them as partners in their children’s football education rather than passive observers on the sidelines.

Mosimane stressed that the country’s challenge lies not in a lack of natural ability but in the systems meant to nurture it.

“South African football doesn’t have a talent problem. It has a development challenge. We have gifted young players in every community across this country. The question is whether we are providing them with the coach, support and environment they need to fulfil their potential,” he said.

Shared responsibility for future stars

The publication repeatedly emphasises that responsibility for creating better players cannot rest with coaches alone.

It calls for greater collaboration between coaches, parents, schools, football clubs, government institutions and the private sector to improve the structures that support young footballers.

“Creating the player of tomorrow is not the responsibility of coaches alone. If we want a stronger future for South African football, we must invest in the people and environments that shape young players from the very beginning,” Mosimane said.

The manual urges football federations, government departments and corporate partners to work alongside communities to build environments in which children can develop on and off the pitch, with proper coaching, facilities and support.

Part of wider development drive

Mosimane sees The Youth Football Coaching Manual as more than just a handbook for trainers. The publication is intended to ignite a broader national debate about how South Africa develops young players and to encourage sustained investment in the systems that produce professionals of the future.

The launch in Sandton is described as the starting point of a wider football development effort, which will include coach education initiatives, thought-leadership activities and community-based programmes aimed at strengthening the football ecosystem both in South Africa and across the African continent.

Through these planned projects, Mosimane and his collaborators hope to create a more sustainable pathway for young talent, ensuring that the promise seen in communities throughout the country can be translated into long-term success on the pitch.