Official: Pitso Mosimane returns as Bafana Bafana coach after 14 years with one clear warning

By Onukpa Chukwudi

Posted on September 1, 2026

Pitso Mosimane has finally been confirmed as Bafana Bafana head coach, returning for a second spell and insisting the national team job is bigger than himself.

Pitso Mosimane has finally been confirmed as the new head coach of Bafana Bafana, ending weeks of uncertainty over the successor to Hugo Broos.

The South African Football Association (SAFA) formally unveiled Mosimane at SAFA House in Johannesburg on Tuesday, September 1, confirming the 62-year-old for a second permanent spell in charge of the national team.

The appointment comes more than three weeks after SAFA’s National Executive Committee approved Mosimane’s return on August 8, with contract negotiations and discussions over his preferred technical team delaying the official announcement.

Now that the deal is done, Mosimane has wasted little time making clear that he understands the scale of the responsibility.

“I take this responsibility knowing I still have something to give in football, especially in my country.”

The former Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly coach also stressed that returning to the national team is about much more than his own reputation.

“I know this is not a coaching job; this is bigger than Pitso Mosimane.”

Pitso Misomane. Photocredit: Imago

Mosimane said he accepted the challenge with pride, determination and humility, while reflecting on what Bafana Bafana represents to South Africans.

“When you coach Bafana Bafana you represent your country… You carry the hopes of a nation,” he said.

His message comes at a particularly important moment for South African football.

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Bafana are returning from a historic 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign in which they reached the knockout stage for the first time, leaving Mosimane with the task of building on the progress made under Broos.

Broos’ five-year tenure ended after the World Cup, with the Belgian departing on a high after guiding South Africa to the last 32.

Mosimane, meanwhile, returns to the job more than a decade after his first spell ended in disappointment.

Pitso Mosimane was among more than 80 applicants for the Bafana Bafana head coach role SAFA stated. Photocredit: Imago

Mosimane previously coached Bafana between 2010 and 2012, with his first permanent stint ending after South Africa failed to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

The circumstances of that exit remain one of the most painful chapters of his international career. South Africa believed a draw against Sierra Leone in their final qualifier would be enough to reach the tournament, only to discover that they needed a victory.

Mosimane subsequently left his position after a 1-1 World Cup qualifying draw with Ethiopia in June 2012.

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At Mamelodi Sundowns, Mosimane built one of the most successful sides in African club football, winning domestic honours and guiding the club to its first CAF Champions League title in 2016.

He later enjoyed further continental success with Egyptian giants Al Ahly, winning the CAF Champions League twice and adding more major silverware.

His subsequent coaching spells in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iran have also added to his international experience.

That is the coach returning to Bafana this time considerably more decorated and experienced than the one who left in 2012.

AFCON challenge awaits

Coach Pitso Mosimane has been named new Bafana Bafana head coach for a second stint. Photocredit: Imago

Mosimane will have little time to settle into his second stint, South Africa’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign begins later this month, with Bafana drawn in Group D alongside Guinea and Eritrea, while Kenya are also in the group as one of the tournament’s co-hosts.

Bafana Bafana face Guinea before taking on Eritrea, leaving Mosimane with back-to-back assignments almost immediately after taking charge.

After the uncertainty surrounding his appointment, the expectations will now shift from questions over whether Mosimane would take the job to whether he can maintain Bafana’s upward trajectory.

And Mosimane appears to understand exactly what awaits him.

“When Bafana players [play], the country stands together,” he said.

“It is who we are as South Africa.”