South Africa reappoints Pitso Mosimane As Bafana Bafana boss
Officiel, Pitso Mosimane has been appointed head coach of South Africa’s men’s national side, Bafana Bafana, with La Fédération sud‑africaine de football (SAFA) confirming the move and naming Musi Matlaba and Kabelo Rangoago as his technical staff in a formal announcement.
The SAFA executive committee approved the appointment on 8 August, and Mosimane was unveiled to the media in Johannesburg on Tuesday after finalising his contract and technical team. He replaces Hugo Broos, who stepped down after five years when his contract expired at the end of July. Broos had guided the side to a third‑placed finish at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and to the last 32 of this year’s World Cup.
Return after Iranian spell
Mosimane’s return comes after a nearly two‑year hiatus following his departure from the Iranian club Esteghlal FC in January 2025. The 62‑year‑old coach described the national role as the ideal comeback, marking his second spell in charge of Bafana Bafana.
He began his playing career at Jomo Cosmos before moving to Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, later joining Greek side Ionikos under Nikos Alefantos and also featuring for Belgium’s KFC Rita Berlaar and Qatar’s Al Sadd.
Coaching journey from reserves to national side
Transitioning to coaching, Mosimane served as under‑11 assistant at KFC Rita Berlaar and then led the Mamelodi Sundowns reserve team, crediting the late Ted Dumitru for inspiring his managerial path. He later became assistant to Bruce Grobbelaar at United before taking the senior role from 2001 to 2007, guiding the club to second place in the Premier Soccer League in the 2001‑2002 and 2002‑2003 seasons. In 2007 he acted as interim coach of the South African national team for seven matches, before joining Carlos Alberto Parreira’s staff as assistant at the 2010 FIFA World Cup and Joel Santana’s team at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. Appointed full‑time manager in 2010, Mosimane signed a four‑year contract and recorded a 1‑0 victory over Ghana in his first match. South Africa failed to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations after a draw with Sierra Leone proved insufficient, and he departed following a 1‑1 home draw with Ethiopia in June 2012.
Since his national‑team spell, Mosimane has enjoyed club success with Mamelodi Sundowns and Egyptian giants Al Ahly, winning the African Champions League three times. More recent appointments have taken him to Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and back to Iran.