Next Bafana coach? Pitso Mosimane confirms SAFA talks – ‘We can raise the bar’

Veteran coach Pitso Mosimane has confirmed that the South African Football Association (SAFA) has approached him as part of discussions regarding the future of the Bafana Bafana head coach position.

The revelation comes amid growing uncertainty over the tenure of current coach Hugo Broos, whose contract is set to expire at the end of this month.

Despite leading the team to two consecutive Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Broos recently made headlines in his native Belgium by suggesting he would not be returning to his role.

SAFA quickly refuted these claims. However, another report this week alleged that the Belgian would be offered a one-year extension while the association finalises a long-term successor. SAFA has also dismissed this latest report, leaving the coaching situation unresolved.

Mosimane confirms Bafana job interview

Speaking at the launch of his Youth Football Coaching Manual in Johannesburg on Thursday, Mosimane, a former Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly manager, acknowledged being part of SAFA’s exploratory process.

⏳ Pitso Mosimane confirms talks with SAFA over potentially succeeding Hugo Broos when he steps down. #sabcsport411 pic.twitter.com/FtEm3nB7nT

— Mazola J. Molefe (@superjourno) July 23, 2026

“I don’t know when the contract [of Broos] ends. Is it available or not?” Mosimane said when asked about his interest in the job as quoted by iDiski Times. “But I know that the federation has spoken to a lot of us about somebody to come in [with a] succession plan – What you want? What you going to do? What’s your plan? How do we take Bafana to a better level?”

While acknowledging the team’s recent progress, Mosimane argued that there is significant room for improvement and that past achievements set a precedent for greater success.

“I always say that it’s important to leave the jersey in a better place. Yeah, there’s room for improvement,” he stated, drawing parallels with his own career. “I left Sundowns with the Champions League, did they have the second one? So every stage and every level can be reached, can be improved.”

‘The bar is not too high’, says veteran coach

Mosimane emphasised that many of the team’s recent accomplishments are not unprecedented in South African football history.

“It’s not the first time we qualify for the World Cup, right? Carlos Perreira did it. It’s not the first time we won the AFCON. Clive Barker won it,” he explained.

“So we can maybe talk about going into the next round of knockouts. Yes, that we can celebrate. But being in semi-finals, quarter-finals, have we done that? Let’s be honest. So that bar, it is high, but has been achieved before.”

He concluded by expressing confidence that the national team can aim higher, dismissing the idea that current standards are insurmountable.

“Come on, we can do a little bit better,” Mosimane urged. “We’re beating Nigeria. We’re beating Ghana. So let’s just also be realistic… We can be there. We’ve been in the semi-finals of AFCON, right? So anything is possible. We can raise the bar.”