Pitso Mosimane has revealed that he is willing to put his reputation on the line by arranging high-profile friendly matches for Bafana Bafana as he looks to prepare the national team for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations and beyond.
Mosimane has returned for a second spell in charge of South Africa, with his first stint ending in disappointment after Bafana failed to qualify for the 2012 AFCON.
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The former Mamelodi Sundowns coach finished his first tenure with six wins, eight draws and three defeats, with his decision-making and results ultimately coming under scrutiny after South Africa’s failure to reach the continental showpiece.
Now, 14 years later, Mosimane is once again faced with the task of building a Bafana side capable of competing against the best teams in Africa – having emerged as one of the greatest coaches in Africa since his first stint.
Rather than filling the international calendar with matches against lower-ranked opposition where victories could provide an immediate confidence boost, Mosimane says he wants to test his players against the continent’s elite.
The three-time CAF Champions League winner pointed to his first stint as a lesson in both the benefits and risks of that approach.
“It’s easy to play a friendly you can always win, let’s play Egypt, come on, let’s do it right – and I also know my fate 14 years ago, because my challenge, I stacked, Ivory Coast, Zambia, Ghana, the top six in the continent, I put them in my friendlies to prepare,” Mosimane said.
“And I got all the draws and you know my fate [in my previous stint].”
Mosimane admitted that he has questioned whether repeating that strategy could once again put him in a vulnerable position, particularly with the pressure that comes with results in international football.
“And I’m asking myself, am I doing the same thing again with these friendly games? We can get someone where we can score five goals, and then we can always say we turned the corner, right?” he added.
“It’s easier because you see the goals.”
‘When it’s easy, I get bored…’
Mosimane believes facing stronger opposition can expose weaknesses and force his players to operate at the level required when the stakes are higher.
His approach also reflects the personality that has defined much of his coaching career, with Mosimane acknowledging that he has never been particularly interested in taking the comfortable route.
“But I’m that guy who falls on his sword,” he said.
“I believe you need to do it right and it might not go well but it’s part of life, that’s me in football, when it’s easy and comfortable, I get bored, I need the rush, I need to be on the edge a little bit – that’s who I am.”
It also carries an obvious risk.
The results in those friendlies could once again attract scrutiny, particularly given Mosimane’s history, but the Bafana coach appears prepared to accept that pressure if he believes the matches will better equip South Africa for the challenges ahead.
For Mosimane, the objective is seemingly not simply to build confidence through winning friendlies, but to ensure Bafana are tested before the matches that matter most.
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