Pitso Mosimane Backed to Outdo Hugo Broos and End Bafana Trophy Drought

Former Bafana Bafana captain Thulani Hlatshwayo believes new head coach Pitso Mosimane has the credentials and ambition to surpass the achievements of his predecessor, Hugo Broos, and end the nation's long wait for a major trophy.

Pitso Mosimane recently returned for a second spell in charge of the South African men's national team, taking over from Broos, who led the side for five years.

While his first tenure from 2010 to 2012 was largely unsuccessful, Mosimane has since built a formidable reputation on the continent.

He guided Mamelodi Sundowns and Egyptian giants Al Ahly to CAF Champions League glory, and the 62-year-old has openly stated his desire to win the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a national team. After being linked with top jobs in Nigeria and Ghana, he ultimately accepted the offer to replace Broos in his home country.

Broos, who arrived in 2021 with a 2017 AFCON title with Cameroon on his resume, had a mixed tenure. After failing to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, he led Bafana to a bronze medal at the 2025 AFCON. However, the team's subsequent campaign ended in the last 16.

His most significant achievement was guiding South Africa past the group stage of the 2026 World Cup for the first time in history, before his departure as the team's longest-serving coach.

Despite this historic milestone, Broos left without securing any silverware. The ultimate benchmark for a Bafana coach remains the 1996 AFCON victory under the late Clive Barker. Speaking to FARPost, Hlatshwayo argued that Mosimane is the right man to aim for that standard.

"It’s definitely going to be a challenge for him [to match or surpass Broos], but I think now coach Pitso Mosimane has all the credentials to coach Bafana Bafana going forward," Hlatshwayo said.

"To be honest, the only bar that was set was qualifying for the World Cup last 32. Not taking anything away from coach Hugo Broos or being disrespectful, he didn’t win anything. We need to have some silverware. We need someone who will set the bar high."

Hlatshwayo noted that Broos successfully fostered team unity and established a solid foundation for Mosimane to build upon.

"He has put the guys together; the togetherness that you see. The core of the team has already been built," he added.

"You can even see in the preliminary squad that coach Pitso has called up, there are a lot of players in the core of the team who just came back from the World Cup. So, it’s obviously for him to build from there, which is a good thing. But I think coach Pitso has all the ammunition to take Bafana Bafana to the next level."

Meanwhile, Pitso Mosimane has already named his preliminary squad for the upcoming 2027 AFCON qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea, and a friendly against Egypt on October 4.

He has largely retained the squad from the Broos era while introducing new faces like Tshepo Mashiloane (on loan at Sekhukhune United from Orlando Pirates) and Durban City's Brooklyn Poggenpoel.

Other hopefuls looking to make the final cut include Yanela Mbuthuma, Cemran Dansin, Puso Dithejane, and Luther Singh.

However, Mosimane's selection has been hampered by injuries to key World Cup players, including defenders Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Khuliso Mudau, as well as Orlando Pirates duo Thalente Mbatha and Evidence Makgopa.