Pitso Mosimane has been appointed head coach of South Africa's men’s national football team, Bafana Bafana, 14 years after his first spell at the helm, the South African Football Association confirmed on 13 September 2026, according to reporting by Daily Maverick.
The 62-year-old replaces Belgian Hugo Broos, who left the role in July after five years in charge. Mosimane arrives with a clear set of priorities: secure qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, and work to return South Africa to the FIFA World Cup stage.
Immediate objectives and qualification path
Mosimane has identified the coming AFCON qualifiers as his first concrete task. South Africa are drawn in a group with Kenya, Guinea and Eritrea for the 2027 qualifying campaign. The coach also acknowledged the groundwork laid during Broos’s tenure, which included consecutive AFCON qualifications, a bronze medal at the 2023 tournament and qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
"Broos had laid a good foundation for the team and praised his work,"
The appointment marks a return to the national setup for Mosimane after his first stint ended following unsuccessful qualification for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. That episode is remembered for the October 2011 draw with Sierra Leone and the confusion over qualification where head-to-head rules ultimately eliminated South Africa in favour of Niger.
New staff and composition
Mosimane has not retained members of Broos’s technical team and has instead brought in specialists he has previously worked with. Confirmed members of the incoming backroom staff include fitness coach Kabelo Rangoaga and analyst Musi Matlaba. The South African Football Association has also appointed Morena Ramoreboli, from Botswana, as assistant head coach.
- Main objectives: 2027 AFCON qualification and rebuilding towards the World Cup.
- New coaching appointments include Rangoaga (fitness), Matlaba (analysis) and Ramoreboli (assistant coach).
- Mosimane replaces Hugo Broos, who left in July after a five-year spell.
Mosimane’s recent managerial CV is highlighted by a successful spell at Mamelodi Sundowns and a high-profile period in Egypt with Al Ahly, where he reached three consecutive CAF Champions League finals and won the tournament twice. He also managed Al-Ahli in Jeddah and had a stint in Iran. The source notes he spent eight years at Sundowns before his jobs abroad.
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Pitso Mosimane |
| Assistant head coach | Morena Ramoreboli |
| Fitness coach | Kabelo Rangoaga |
| Analyst | Musi Matlaba |
Context and implications
Broos’s departure closes a chapter in which Bafana regained some continental stability and secured a return to the World Cup after a long absence. Mosimane inherits a squad that has recent tournament experience and the expectations of a nation eager for silverware and consistent World Cup involvement.
The immediate test will be navigating the AFCON 2027 qualifying group. Success there will not only secure participation in the continental showpiece but will also be a barometer for the longer-term project of restoring South Africa as a persistent presence at World Cups.
How Mosimane balances bringing in his familiar technical staff while integrating players developed under the previous regime will define his early months. With qualifiers looming and continental football changing rapidly, the appointment signals ambition; the results will determine whether that ambition translates to trophies and tournament runs.
Reporting on this appointment was published by Daily Maverick on 13 September 2026.
