The Bafana Bafana coach deadlock between the South African Football Association (Safa) and Pitso Mosimane has left the national team without a permanent appointment, weeks before qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) begins in September 2026.
Safa’s national executive committee approved Mosimane as the successor to the outgoing coach, Hugo Broos, at a meeting on Saturday, 8 August 2026, but the two sides had not agreed terms, as reported by EWN.
The sticking point was his backroom staff.
What caused the Bafana Bafana coach deadlock?
Mosimane asked for his full backroom staff to be brought in on permanent contracts, a demand that carries a cost and a governance implication for the association, which normally appoints assistants, goalkeeper coaches and analysts on its own terms rather than at a head coach’s request.
Broos ended his time in charge after leading South Africa to a third-place finish at the 2023 Afcon tournament and then to the World Cup knockouts in June 2026, the country’s first progression beyond a World Cup group stage.
That record raised expectations around the appointment of his successor.
Mosimane last coached in the Middle East and built his reputation with Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly, winning the CAF Champions League with both clubs.
He also had a spell in charge of Bafana Bafana between 2010 and 2012 before returning to club football.
Who could take charge while the Bafana Bafana coach deadlock continues?
With no agreement reached, Safa was considering Molefi Ntseki, who coached the national side between 2019 and 2021, as a stopgap for the opening qualifiers while talks with Mosimane continued.
No appointment had been confirmed, and Ntseki was removed from the job in 2021 after South Africa failed to qualify for that year’s Afcon finals.
Safa also approached Broos about taking charge for the two September fixtures, and he declined. That left the association with a narrowing set of options and a squad that had not been assembled by a permanent coach since his departure.
What the Bafana Bafana coach deadlock means for the Afcon qualifiers
South Africa were drawn to face Guinea and Eritrea in September 2026 in their opening qualifiers.
The 2027 finals are to be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, and qualifying groups are decided over six matchdays, which leaves little room for a slow start.
An interim appointment carries a practical difficulty. A caretaker has no mandate to build beyond the matches in front of him, and squad selection, playing style and staff decisions taken in September would fall to whoever is confirmed on a permanent basis afterwards.
The association had weeks rather than months to settle it. A squad must be named before the September window opens, and whether that selection falls to Mosimane or to a caretaker depended on contract terms that had still not been signed off by Saturday, 22 August 2026.
