Former Bafana Bafana assistant coach Helman Mkhalele. Pitso Mosimane has defended his decision not to retain Mkhalele, stating that head coaches typically prefer working alongside established technical teams they know well.
Pitso Mosimane has explained his decision to assemble a technical team made up of his trusted lieutenants, including Musi Matlaba and Kabelo Rangoaga, after deciding not to retain the backroom staff of his predecessor, Hugo Broos, which included Helman Mkhalele.
Mosimane, who returned as the Bafana Bafana head coach on a four-year deal 14 years after his first stint, was unveiled at Safa House on Tuesday.
With the team having grown in leaps and bounds over the years – including reaching the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in the last edition – Mosimane vowed to build on Broos’ foundation, though with his own staff.
Mosimane announced that Rangoaga and Matlaba will serve as his assistants, while the rest of the backroom staff, including a third assistant, will be named in due course. The decision leaves former assistant and goalkeeper coaches Helman Mkhalele and Grant Johnson without roles.
The omission of Mkhalele is particularly notable given his status as a former Bafana star and his vital role alongside Broos during an illustrious tenure. Broos had even tipped Mkhalele as his eventual successor, provided he obtained the necessary coaching qualifications.
But having Matlaba and Rangoaga worked with Mosimane for years, helping him win more than 21 trophies across various clubs, including three CAF Champions League titles and multiple Fifa Club World Cup appearances, their track record made them natural picks to support Mosimane in his return to Bafana.
“I have people that I’ve been with to four (three) Fifa (Club) World Cups,” Mosimane stated.
“It’s the people who understand that we’ve worked differently in South Africa, the continent, and beyond. I have people that I think can support me.”
Mosimane cited Italian tactician and Brazil national team coach Carlo Ancelotti as an example of why coaches must work with people they trust and who complement them – including family members – as long as they deliver success and win trophies.
“Everyone, every coach has his own technical team, right?” Mosimane stated.
“I always want to refer to practical examples. I always refer to Carlo Ancelotti. Whom does he take? His son. They’ve won a lot of trophies. If I had my son here in South Africa, you’d be talking about nepotism and all that.
“They’ve worked well and won trophies. The world is not looking at Ancelotti hiring his son, but at the work they’ve done. So, for us, it’s the same: the work that we’ve done prior.”
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