Pitso Mosimane Makes Feelings Clear on Bafana Bafana Coaching Job

Pitso Mosimane has broken his silence on speculation linking him to the Bafana Bafana head coach position, confirming that the South African Football Association (SAFA) has approached him as part of a broader discussion about the team's future.

The national team's coaching situation has been a subject of intense debate, with current coach Hugo Broos's contract set to expire at the end of this month.

Hugo Broos, who guided South Africa to two consecutive Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, recently made headlines in his home country by suggesting he would not return as head coach. SAFA swiftly denied these claims.

Further reports this week alleged that Broos would receive a one-year extension while the association finalised its long-term succession plan.

However, SAFA was quick to dismiss these reports as well, leaving the future leadership of the national team uncertain.

Amid the speculation, Pitso Mosimane has emerged as a leading candidate to take the helm should Broos depart. Speaking at the launch of his Youth Football Coaching Manual in Johannesburg on Thursday, the former Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly manager revealed that he was among several coaches contacted by SAFA.

"I don't know when the contract ends. Is it available or not?" Mosimane said as quoted by iDiski Times. "But I know that the federation has spoken to a lot of us about somebody to come in [with a] succession plan – What you want? What you going to do? What’s your plan? How do we take Bafana to a better level?"

Mosimane acknowledged the team's recent progress but insisted that there is significant room for improvement, arguing that the current standard is not insurmountable.

"I always say that it’s important to leave the jersey in a better place. Yeah, there’s room for improvement," he stated.

"It’s not the first time we qualify for the World Cup, right? Carlos Parreira did it. It’s not the first time we won the AFCON. Clive Barker won it."

He suggested that the next goal should be to advance further in the knockout stages, a feat that would be a true cause for celebration.

"We can maybe talk about going into the next round of knockouts. Yes, that we can celebrate. But being in semi-finals, quarter-finals, have we done that? Let’s be honest. So that bar, it is high, but it has been achieved before," Mosimane explained.

Drawing parallels with his successful tenure at Mamelodi Sundowns, he added, "I left Sundowns. I won the treble, and they’ve won the league how many times after I left? So really, we can all do it. No one is indispensable... Come on, we can do a little bit better."

Pitso Mosimane concluded by expressing his belief that the national team is capable of reaching greater heights, referencing past successes against top African nations.

"We’re beating Nigeria. We’re beating Ghana. So let’s just also be realistic... We can be there. We’ve been in the semi-finals of AFCON, right? So anything is possible. We can raise the bar. Yes, we have to leave the jersey in a better place. But it's possible, yes, because it has been done before."