South Africa’s Sports Minister McKenzie endorses Pitso Mosimane for Bafana Bafana coaching job

Minister of Sports for South Africa, Gayton McKenzie, has called for swift appointment of Pitso Mosimane as the next Bafana Bafana coach amid Hugo Broos exit talks.

Mosimane, who has been out of club management since 2025, continues to be a central figure in discussions around the future of Bafana Bafana. The former Mamelodi Sundowns coach remains one of the most decorated South African tacticians, and his name has repeatedly surfaced as a leading candidate to take over the national side.

As Hugo Broos prepare to part ways with the South African Football Association following World Cup elimination, the Sports Minister has named Mosimane as the ideal successor.

For McKenzie, the decision should not be overcomplicated, arguing that Mosimane is the obvious choice to continue the progress made under Broos.

“You know, the problem with us South Africans, sometimes we complicate very uncomplicated things. I’ve been listening to SAFA, who are shortlisting different coaches. There’s no different coach. There’s one coach that must lead Bafana Bafana, and that is Pitso Mosimane,” the Minister said on SABC Sports.

McKenzie also took time to reflect on the impact Broos has had on South African football, praising the Belgian coach for restoring pride and competitiveness to the national team after years of decline.

“What coach Hugo has done for us, no one has ever done [it] in our football. What he has achieved, no one has ever achieved [it]. Before coach Hugo came here, our football and Bafana Bafana were a joke,” he said.

The Minister further highlighted the transformation in results and perception under Broos, pointing to South Africa’s improved standing in international competitions and qualification campaigns.

“If we’re being honest, jokes were made [and] no one wore Bafana Bafana t-shirts, but coach Hugo turned things around and brought us to this point,” McKenzie added.

With Broos’ tenure widely expected to come to an end after the World Cup cycle, pressure is now mounting on the South African Football Association SAFA to make a decisive appointment as attention turns to the next chapter of the national team’s development.

For McKenzie, however, the answer is already clear: Mosimane is the man he believes can take Bafana Bafana to the next level.