Newly appointed Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane has set his sights on ending South Africa’s long wait for silverware after returning to the national team for a second spell.
Mosimane was asked how his football philosophy differs from that of his predecessor Hugo Broos, who guided Bafana Bafana through a five-year spell that included qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations bronze medal.
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Rather than focusing on the differences between the two coaches, Mosimane stressed that Broos deserves recognition for what he achieved before turning his attention towards his own ambitions with the national team.
“What do you mean how much are we different? You mean colour-wise or what? The play? When you say how much different, I don’t know vele, should I answer you? We should acknowledge and accept what the previous coach has done,” Mosimane said.
“And it’s been a good five years yes, but we need to win a cup right, we haven’t won a cup right, let’s try to win a cup.
“We need cup, we haven’t won it, it’s been too long, I want to win a cup… I’m not saying I’m going to win it, I want to win it.”
South Africa’s last major international trophy came at the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil, when Clive Barker’s side lifted the continental title in Johannesburg.
Since then, Bafana have reached the latter stages of the AFCON on several occasions without adding to their trophy cabinet, with their most recent semi-final appearance coming in 2023 when they ultimately finished third.
For Mosimane, however, winning silverware cannot be separated from the process of consistently qualifying for major tournaments.
“That is why I am here and I think the players here want to win the cup, right? If we don’t win a cup, what are we doing?” he added.
“We are trying to qualify again? You can’t win the cup if you don’t qualify, you know the levels and the steps you need to do, to get to win the cup.
“But yeah, that’s the objective to try and win a cup, maybe in five years, win one cup.”
Mosimane now begins his second stint in charge of Bafana Bafana having previously led the national team between 2010 and 2012.
His first spell saw South Africa fail to qualify for the 2012 AFCON despite being among the favourites to progress from their group, before Mosimane subsequently moved on from the role.
His return comes with Bafana having secured their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup under Broos, while preparations will also be focused on the 2027 AFCON, which will be hosted across Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
Mosimane’s immediate task will therefore be to build on the foundations laid during the Broos era, while attempting to take the national team the final step towards major tournament success.