Veteran South African football manager Pitso Mosimane has been formally unveiled as the new head coach of the country’s men’s senior national side, Bafana Bafana, marking a surprise return to the role he left more than a decade ago. The 62-year-old, whose decorated career spans club and continental success across Africa and the Middle East, steps into the vacancy left by Belgian manager Hugo Broos, who departed the post in late July after his five-year contract reached its natural expiration.
Broos leaves behind a notable legacy during his tenure, guiding South Africa back to the FIFA World Cup finals for the first time since the nation hosted the tournament in 2010, and securing a third-place finish at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) — one of the team’s strongest continental performances in recent years. While Mosimane’s first spell in charge of Bafana Bafana, which ran from July 2010 to June 2012, ended in disappointment, his subsequent club track record has cemented his reputation as one of the most successful managers in African football.
During his first national team tenure, Mosimane’s side infamously missed out on qualification for the 2012 Afcon after incorrectly assuming a draw in their final group match against Sierra Leone would secure their spot in the tournament finals. His departure came just two years into his first contract, following a 1-1 home draw against Ethiopia in the opening qualifier for the 2014 World Cup. In the 12 years since he left the post, Mosimane has collected an impressive array of silverware, including three African Champions League titles — two with South African powerhouse Mamelodi Sundowns and one with Egyptian giant Al Ahly. Most recently, he held a managerial role at top Iranian club Esteghlal, with previous stints also including roles in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.
The South Africa Football Association’s executive committee approved Mosimane’s reappointment on 8 August, but the official public reveal was delayed until Tuesday in Johannesburg, as the club worked to finalize contract details and assemble Mosimane’s supporting technical team. As of the announcement, the length of Mosimane’s new contract with the national federation has not been disclosed to the public. Football fans and analysts across the continent are now watching closely to see whether the decorated club manager can translate his decades of continental success to the international stage, and lead Bafana Bafana to continued progress after the team’s recent breakthrough under Broos.