By Kgomotso Mokoena
The South African Football Association (Safa) and incoming Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane have reached common ground. The new SA senior national team coach could be announced this week and name his preliminary squad for the 2027 Afcon qualifiers this week.
Robust negotiations between Safa and the representatives of the former Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly coach took all day on Wednesday.
Mosimane’s camp turned down Safa’s initial offer of R5-million-a-year package. An improved offer, in the region of R10m, has resolved the impasse.
There was urgency in the talks as there is only a month before the 2027 Afcon qualifiers start. The coach will have to announce his preliminary squad for the matches against Guinea and Eritrea.
South Africa will kick off their qualifying campaign with a home game against Guinea on September 23. Their second game will be away against Eritrea on the 27th.
In the initial negotiations, the coach’s camp felt the R5m offer was disrespectful to a coach of Mosimane’s calibre and was not even half of what previous coach Hugo Broos was earning.
Mosimane wanted to be paid on the same salary scale as Broos and he wanted a package for him and his technical team after Safa had proposed that his three lieutenants be remunerated separately. Mosimane’s trusted three musketeers are Musi Matlaba (performance analysis coach), Kabelo Rangoaga (fitness coach) and Kyle Solomon (football performance analyst).
A Safa insider said Mosimane could not employ people and have the association pay their salaries. “That kind of arrangement worked better at the clubs he coaches but things are not the same with the national team set-up.
“The qualifiers are starting in five weeks and both parties must sign on the dotted line so the coach can start preparing for the matches. There is no time and an announcement must be made this week,” he said.
Safa had not commented at the time of going to print.
- South African Football Association (Safa) and Pitso Mosimane have reached an agreement on Mosimane's coaching contract for Bafana Bafana.
- Mosimane's initial R5-million-a-year salary offer was rejected, with an improved offer in the region of R10 million resolving the negotiation impasse.
- The incoming coach is expected to announce his preliminary squad this week for the 2027 Afcon qualifiers against Guinea on September 23 and Eritrea on September 27.
- Mosimane's technical team includes Musi Matlaba, Kabelo Rangoaga, and Kyle Solomon, but Safa will handle their salaries separately from Mosimane’s package.
- Both parties must finalize and sign the contract within five weeks before the qualifiers start, with an official announcement anticipated this week.
