SAFA NEC backs Mosimane return with a package befitting his status as one of Africa’s top coaches

As the SAFA Technical Committee led by Jack Maluleke had finalized their recommendation and identified Mosimane as their target to replace the former head coach , SAFA senior executives visited the former Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly head coach to work towards finalizing his deal. 

The team of SAFA CEO Lydia Monyepao, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Grony Hluyo, Technical Director (TD) Molefi Ntseki and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Thulani Ngwenya visited Mosimane as they aim to work towards the new deal. 

But it was only the following day that Hluyo communicated a R5 million a year offer that they were presented to Mosimane, a far cry from the R1,4 million a month salary that Broos was said to be on.  

SABC Sport, has previously reported that when Mosimane left Mamelodi Sundowns in 2020, he was on a R1,5 million a month package. 

The three-time CAF Champions League winning coach’s representatives are believed to be looking for the same package Broos was on.

A former Bafana assistant coach between 2006 and 2010 under Carlos Alberto Parreira and Joel Natalino Santana, and head coach between 2010 and 2012, Jingles, as Mosimane is popularly known, has always maintained that he’s got unfinished business with Bafana, and money was never going to be an issue. 

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Sources close to the negotiations have also said that he was prepared, together with his three-member technical team, to start working from Monday (tomorrow), whilst the negotiations for the contract continue in the background. 

Mosimane usually goes around with his strength and conditioning coach Kabelo Rangoaga and match performance analyst Musi Matlaba, and they could also add an assistant coach, fitted for the international space. 

Following what SAFA  said was a robust and engaging NEC meeting, where matters were dealt with vigorously, including salary package-related matters, it’s also understood that members gave the CAF Pro-licensed coach (the only South African with the CAF Pro) the respect he deserves. 

“The NEC has approved the appointment of coach Pitso to Bafana Bafana, but we still need to tie up some loose ends. We will make a formal announcement of the coach next week,” confirmed SAFA President Danny Jordaan after yesterday’s meeting. 

In a recent interview with SABC Sport, Maluleke emphasised the importance of supporting local coaches, equally to how foreign coaches are also supported and remunerated. 

“We’ve got some of the best coaches here at home, I believe that the national team can be coached by one of them. But we must ensure that we don’t set them up for a failure; we must support them.

“It’s a pity some of our coaches are highly respected in other countries and given a chance, but here in South Africa, we don’t regard the same coach (es) at the same level”, said Maluleke, when referring to the respect that Mosimane and other SA coaches deserve. 

With the Technical Committee and now the NEC behind him, Mosimane can now start to look forward to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers in September, where Bafana play Guinea-Conakry and Eritrea. 

The expanded international week, between September and October, also allows the national teams to add at least one or two international friendly matches. 

Under Broos, Bafana achieved some important milestones, moving from 75^th to 55^th in his five-year tenure in the world rankings, qualifying for back-to-back AFCONs and returning with a bronze medal at the 2023 edition in Ivory Coast. 

The 74-year-old also qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he took Bafana Bafana to the knockout stage of the tournament, losing to Canada in the last 32. 

Mosimane is expected to be announced and unveiled to the media this coming week.