South Africa's national football team faces a key period without a confirmed head coach as important 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers approach. The South African Football Association (Safa) has not yet appointed Hugo Broos's successor, leaving Bafana Bafana leaderless ahead of September matches.
Their recent form shows one win, two draws and two losses in their last five matches, including a 1-0 defeat to Canada in June.
Safa's technical committee chairperson Jack Maluleke stated in May that the federation had begun searching for Broos's replacement. The 74-year-old Belgian tactician left after five years in charge, having secured South Africa's first World Cup qualification in 16 years. Broos previously said the Bafana Bafana job would likely be his last head coaching role.
In August, Safa's national executive committee endorsed Pitso Mosimane for the position. Negotiations between Mosimane and the federation are ongoing. Initial salary discussions reportedly began at R5-million annually before being doubled, though this remains below Broos's R1.4-million monthly package. Safa denied July reports that they had offered Broos a one-year extension, calling those claims false, unfounded and misleading.
Pitso Mosimane previously coached Bafana Bafana from 2010 to 2012. His tenure ended disappointingly when South Africa failed to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. Despite believing they had secured qualification after a 0-0 draw with Sierra Leone in their final 2011 qualifier, they were eliminated on head-to-head record against Niger despite having superior goal difference.
After his national team stint, Mosimane achieved remarkable success at club level. He coached Mamelodi Sundowns from 2012 to 2020, winning two African Champions League titles and reaching three finals. He then moved to Al Ahly, leading them to three Champions League finals and winning two, before coaching Al-Ahli in Jeddah and Esteghlal in Iran until 2025. Mosimane is currently unattached and focusing on his academy and a podcast.
Bafana Bafana begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign in late September. They face Guinea on 23 September and Eritrea on 27 September, followed by a match against Kenya in November. South Africa will co-host the 2027 tournament alongside Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
The team's immediate focus remains World Cup qualification, where their next fixtures will be critical. Their current squad statistics show they need to improve their attacking output, having managed just two goals in three qualifying games. Fans can view detailed player data on our stats page. South Africa's next managerial appointment must address these offensive struggles quickly, with the Guinea qualifier now less than three weeks away.
