JOHANNESBURG, South Africa: Pitso Mosimane was formally unveiled as Bafana Bafana head coach on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, completing his return to the national team more than three weeks after the South African Football Association approved his appointment in principle. He succeeds Hugo Broos and takes charge before South Africa begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign later this month.
The formal announcement resolves the outstanding negotiations that followed SAFA's 8 August endorsement. Mosimane described the job as a national responsibility and said he accepted it with pride, determination and humility.
Who is the new Bafana Bafana coach? Pitso Mosimane is officially back as South Africa's senior men's national-team coach. SAFA unveiled him on 1 September 2026 after finalising the appointment first approved in August. He replaces Hugo Broos and will lead Bafana into the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
Mosimane accepts the Bafana responsibility
eNCA's account of the announcement records Mosimane saying that the assignment is bigger than one coach. He said he still had something to contribute to football in South Africa and understood the expectations attached to the national team.
The public presentation at SAFA House converted an earlier approval into a completed appointment. On 8 August, SAFA's National Executive Committee announced that it had backed Mosimane but still needed to settle outstanding matters before a formal announcement.
Those delays kept the coaching position unresolved for more than three weeks. The unveiling now gives Mosimane authority to select players, organise his technical programme and prepare for competitive matches.
SABC News reported the completed appointment at 12:07 PM SAST and said his first task is the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign. The broadcaster also confirmed that Mosimane replaces Broos after South Africa's historic World Cup run.
A return 14 years after his first spell
Mosimane previously served as Bafana's permanent coach from 2010 to 2012 after earlier working as an assistant and caretaker. His first permanent tenure ended following South Africa's failure to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
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Pitso Mosimane Unveiled as Bafana Bafana Coach
Sep 1, 2026
Sep 1, 2026
5 min read
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JOHANNESBURG, South Africa: Pitso Mosimane was formally unveiled as Bafana Bafana head coach on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, completing his return to the national team more than three weeks after the South African Football Association approved his appointment in principle. He succeeds Hugo Broos and takes charge before South Africa begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign later this month.
The formal announcement resolves the outstanding negotiations that followed SAFA's 8 August endorsement. Mosimane described the job as a national responsibility and said he accepted it with pride, determination and humility.
Who is the new Bafana Bafana coach? Pitso Mosimane is officially back as South Africa's senior men's national-team coach. SAFA unveiled him on 1 September 2026 after finalising the appointment first approved in August. He replaces Hugo Broos and will lead Bafana into the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
Mosimane accepts the Bafana responsibility
eNCA's account of the announcement records Mosimane saying that the assignment is bigger than one coach. He said he still had something to contribute to football in South Africa and understood the expectations attached to the national team.
The public presentation at SAFA House converted an earlier approval into a completed appointment. On 8 August, SAFA's National Executive Committee announced that it had backed Mosimane but still needed to settle outstanding matters before a formal announcement.
Those delays kept the coaching position unresolved for more than three weeks. The unveiling now gives Mosimane authority to select players, organise his technical programme and prepare for competitive matches.
SABC News reported the completed appointment at 12:07 PM SAST and said his first task is the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign. The broadcaster also confirmed that Mosimane replaces Broos after South Africa's historic World Cup run.
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A return 14 years after his first spell
Mosimane previously served as Bafana's permanent coach from 2010 to 2012 after earlier working as an assistant and caretaker. His first permanent tenure ended following South Africa's failure to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
He returns with a substantially different record. After leaving the national team, Mosimane built a trophy-winning era at Mamelodi Sundowns and led the club to the 2016 CAF Champions League title. He later won the competition twice with Egypt's Al Ahly and coached clubs in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iran.
ESPN's report on the appointment notes that the new coach takes over after Broos's contract ended on 31 July. Broos had guided South Africa to third place at the 2023 AFCON and then to the knockout phase of the 2026 World Cup, the country's first appearance beyond the group stage.
That progress changes the terms of Mosimane's return. His task is not to rebuild from the bottom, but to protect recent gains while putting his own tactical and selection ideas into place.
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AFCON qualification is the immediate test
Mosimane has little time for a long transition. South Africa's next competitive objective is qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
Bafana are scheduled to begin with matches against Guinea and Eritrea. Eyewitness News reported that Mosimane's first squad announcement is expected on Wednesday, making selection his first major public decision since returning.
The group also includes Kenya, whose host status does not remove it from the qualifying fixtures. That creates a regional storyline involving two prominent African coaches and national programmes seeking momentum before the tournament.
For South African supporters, the first squad will show how much Mosimane intends to retain from the Broos era. It will also reveal whether he immediately recalls experienced players, rewards domestic form or introduces younger options.
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What the appointment changes for Bafana
The unveiling brings clarity after weeks in which SAFA had a preferred coach but no final public appointment. Players now know who will lead the next camp, while the federation can focus on fixtures and preparation rather than negotiations.
Mosimane also returns with extensive experience in African club competition. His record in the CAF Champions League gives him familiarity with travel, difficult away fixtures and the short preparation periods that often shape continental football.
Expectations will nevertheless be high. Bafana's World Cup performance under Broos raised public belief in the team, and Mosimane inherits a side that has recently shown it can compete on a bigger stage. XTRAfrica previously examined South Africa's response during the World Cup and the wider continental reaction to Bafana's campaign.
Mosimane's first squad and the opening AFCON qualifiers will provide the earliest evidence of how he plans to build on that foundation. Until those decisions are made, the confirmed change is straightforward: Bafana Bafana now have their new coach, and his second permanent spell has begun.
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