By Sports Reporter
South African senior football national team, Bafana Bafana are set for a familiar face in the dugout after the South African Football Association (SAFA) approved the appointment of Pitso Mosimane as the national team’s new head coach.
Mosimane is set to replace Belgian coach Hugo Broos, who recently left the position after guiding South Africa through a successful spell that included qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
SAFA’s National Executive Committee approved Mosimane’s appointment during an extraordinary meeting on Saturday, August 8, 2026.
“The South African Football Association’s (SAFA) National Executive Committee has approved the appointment of Pitso Mosimane as the new Bafana Bafana coach,” the association said in a statement.
The appointment marks a return to the national team for Mosimane, who previously coached Bafana Bafana between 2010 and 2012.
Mosimane, 62, returns to the job with considerably greater experience than when he first took charge of the national team.
His first stint ended in 2012 after a difficult run of results, but he subsequently rebuilt his reputation as one of Africa’s most successful club coaches.
He guided Mamelodi Sundowns to the CAF Champions League title in 2016, before moving to Egyptian powerhouse Al Ahly, where he won the Champions League twice and reached three successive finals.
His success with Al Ahly established him as one of the continent’s most decorated coaches and earned him opportunities in the Middle East.
Mosimane now faces the challenge of building on the foundations laid by Broos, who transformed Bafana Bafana into a competitive force during his tenure.
Broos took charge in 2021 and oversaw South Africa’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup. His departure came after the country’s campaign at the global tournament, where Bafana Bafana reached the knockout stage for the first time in their history.
The Belgian coach’s tenure had also been credited with restoring confidence in the national team, with home attendances rising significantly during his time in charge.
Mosimane will therefore inherit a team with high expectations.
His immediate task will be to maintain South Africa’s competitiveness while preparing the squad for the next phase of the international calendar.
Among his early assignments will be Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Guinea and Eritrea as South Africa begins its campaign for the 2027 tournament, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
SAFA is expected to make the formal public announcement after the remaining details surrounding the appointment have been finalised.
