Pitso Mosimane unveiled as Bafana Bafana head coach

Pitso Mosimane has been formally unveiled as Bafana Bafana head coach, returning to the national team job more than a decade after his first permanent spell.

The South African Football Association presented Mosimane at SAFA House in Johannesburg on Tuesday, ending the final uncertainty around an appointment its national executive committee approved on 8 August.

Mosimane succeeds Hugo Broos, whose five-year tenure ended after South Africa reached the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. His immediate assignment is the start of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign later this month, with matches against Guinea and Eritrea on the programme.

Speaking at the unveiling, Mosimane said he was accepting the role with humility and with a clearer appreciation of the responsibility that comes with leading the national side. SAFA president Danny Jordaan said the association looked forward to renewing a working relationship that stretches back to Mosimane’s earlier years with Bafana.

This is Mosimane’s second permanent stint in charge. He led the team from 2010 to 2012 after serving as an assistant to Carlos Alberto Parreira at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. His first spell ended after Bafana failed to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

He returns with a substantially stronger club record. Mosimane won five league titles with Mamelodi Sundowns and guided the club to the 2016 CAF Champions League title. He later won back-to-back CAF Champions League titles with Egypt’s Al Ahly and coached in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iran.

SAFA’s announcement follows weeks of negotiations after Broos stepped down. The association said in August that its executive had approved Mosimane but that outstanding details still had to be finalised before a formal presentation.

The appointment shifts attention quickly to squad selection and preparations for the Afcon qualifiers. Bafana enter the new cycle after their strongest World Cup showing, leaving Mosimane to build on the progress made under Broos while managing the short turnaround before competitive matches resume.