Pitso Mosimane is back in charge of Bafana Bafana – and SAFA president Danny Jordaan has wasted little time spelling out exactly what is expected of him.
The newly appointed Bafana Bafana coach may have returned to the national team with a formidable reputation, but Jordaan has made it clear that there will be no extended honeymoon period.
Pitso Mosimane’s immediate task is to guide South Africa through their next Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign, but Jordaan’s ambitions stretch considerably further.
In fact, the SAFA president has already identified the opening Group D qualifier against Guinea as a game that is “close to a must-win”.
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Speaking at Mosimane’s unveiling on Tuesday, Jordaan pointed out that Bafana Bafana are currently ranked 10th in Africa, while Guinea are 15th, Kenya 25th and Eritrea 50th in the FIFA rankings.
But he warned against taking those rankings for granted.
“It doesn’t matter where FIFA ranks you. It doesn’t matter where CAF ranks you,” Jordaan said.
“It depends on the 11 players on the day that’s on the field. It depends on the preparation and the determination of the players.”
And then came the message that will immediately put Mosimane under pressure.
“That is what we are facing from the first game, which is probably the most important in this group against Guinea,” Jordaan said.
“I don’t want to say it’s a must-win, but it’s close to that.”
The Pitso era 2.0
Pitso Mosimane returns to a Bafana Bafana team that has changed considerably since his first spell in charge.
The former Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly coach was handed the national team job again after Hugo Broos’ contract came to an end.
Broos leaves behind a team that reached the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup – a historic achievement that has inevitably raised the bar for his successor.
Mosimane acknowledged that reality during his address.
“I also want to acknowledge coach Hugo Broos, his technical team and, more importantly, the players,” he said.
“The team has made important strides and given South Africa reason to believe again.
“It has set a new benchmark for us, and we know where the benchmark is.”
That benchmark is now Mosimane’s starting point.
“My responsibility is to build on that foundation, to take the team forward and raise the standard even further,” he added.
‘Our ambition cannot end with participation’
While AFCON qualification represents the immediate challenge, Jordaan made it clear that SAFA’s major objective is the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
That tournament will be co-hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain, with South Africa hoping to secure another appearance at football’s biggest tournament.
Jordaan described 2030 as the “major objective” for SAFA.
And Pitso Mosimane echoed that long-term vision.
“AFCON matters, the World Cup matters, very important, but our responsibility goes beyond any one tournament,” the coach said.
“South Africa belongs among the best in Africa and around the world.”
For Mosimane, simply qualifying will not be enough.
“Our ambition cannot end with participation,” he said.
“We go there to compete and we go to win and we play with pride.”
That is a significant statement from a coach taking over immediately after Bafana’s best-ever World Cup campaign.
Building beyond the next match
Pitso Mosimane also made it clear that he does not intend to treat the national team as a side that simply assembles during international windows.
His vision involves monitoring players throughout the domestic season, identifying emerging talent and creating a stronger pathway between schools, academies, clubs and the national team.
“National team cannot switch on when the camp opens and switch off when players go back to their clubs,” Mosimane said.
“The work has to continue.”
He wants SAFA to track players’ positions and performances while ensuring that the national team has the appropriate technical and high-performance support.
Interestingly, Mosimane admitted that he is “a little bit jealous” of rugby’s aligned systems and wants to find a way of creating a similarly connected football pathway in South Africa.
‘The journey to 2030 starts today’
SAFA CEO Lydia Monyepao also stressed the scale of the expectations surrounding Pitso Mosimane’s appointment.
“Your appointment, coach, comes with great expectations but more importantly with great confidence,” she said.
“We believe that you have the experience, knowledge and leadership to take Bafana to new and greater heights.”
But she also delivered a reminder that there is no time to waste.
“The work starts now,” Motaung said.
“But the journey to 2030 starts today.”
Jordaan went even further, describing Mosimane’s return as the beginning of a new chapter.
“I don’t know if it’s version two of the Pitso era,” he said.
“But Pitso vision 2026 to 2030 is what drives the future of South African football.”
That four-year vision now sits firmly on Mosimane’s shoulders.
First comes Guinea.
Then AFCON qualification.
Then the longer road towards 2030.
Pitso Mosimane is back – and the pressure is on.