Pitso Mosimane is back as the coach of South Africa. This was announced on Tuesday, just 24 days after the football association approved his appointment.
On August 8, the association president Danny Jordaan said, "we need to tie up some loose ends". But the delay took longer than expected.
Mosimane takes over from Belgian Hugo Broos, who retired after leading South Africa to the knockout stages of a World Cup for the first time in North America this year.
He has only 23 days to prepare the national team for their first match in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, at home against Guinea.
Guinea did not qualify for the 2025 AFCON tournament in Morocco. Still, they have a strong player in Serhou Guirassy, who plays for Borussia Dortmund in Germany.
Mosimane, who is 62 years old, is taking charge of Bafana Bafana (The Boys) for the second time. His first term was not successful, as he coached for two years starting in 2010.
During his first time as coach, South Africa did not qualify for the 2012 AFCON. He was fired after a disappointing home draw against Ethiopia in a World Cup qualifier in 2014.
The AFCON failure was tough for the team. They celebrated after a draw with Sierra Leone, thinking they had qualified, only to later find out they misunderstood the head-to-head rule.
Mosimane has had more success at the club level. He won the CAF Champions League once with Mamelodi Sundowns in Pretoria, and then twice with Al Ahly in Cairo.
He also claimed the CAF Super Cup three times. With six titles, he is the most successful black coach in CAF club competitions. The Portuguese coach Manuel Jose has won eight titles with Al Ahly.
After spending three seasons at Al Ahly, Mosimane also coached teams in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran.
His new contract with South Africa runs until the 2030 World Cup, which will take place in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain.
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