Sports, Arts, and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has thrown his substantial weight behind local football legend Pitso Mosimane, calling on the South African Football Association [SAFA] to stop “complicating things” and appoint the former Mamelodi Sundowns tactician.
McKenzie’s remarks come amid growing speculation regarding the future of current Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos, and the Minister is not mincing his words about who the successor must be.
The outspoken Minister has joined the debate on the next Bafana coach, with Hugo Broos‘ future set to be decided in the next few weeks. The Belgian mentor recently admitted to missing his family, casting doubts on the possibility of remaining in the hot seat.
Broos holds the record of being the longest-serving Bafana coach, having taken over the coaching job back in 2021. The experienced mentor has gone on to turn South Africa into one of the feared teams on the African continent after qualifying for back-to-back AFCON tournaments and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The former Cameroon national team coach is also fresh from making history with Bafana after guiding the team to the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time before they were eliminated from the Round of 32 by Canada. Despite the success, Broos’ future remains the subject of speculation.
‘STOP COMPLICATING THINGS’
While SAFA has reportedly been vetting a list of potential candidates to guide the national team forward should Hugo Broos leave, McKenzie publicly dismissed the need for a lengthy search. According to the Minister, the perfect candidate is already staring them in the face.
“I’ve been listening to SAFA saying we are short-listing different coaches,” McKenzie told SABC Sport. “There are no ‘different’ coaches. There is one coach that should lead Bafana Bafana, and that is Pitso Mosimane.”
McKenzie urged football administrators to stop overthinking the appointment and focus on what the national team truly needs: a leader who understands the local culture and the unique identity of South African football.
“Let us leave this thing of trying to complicate things,” McKenzie insisted. “The next coach of Bafana Bafana should be Pitso Mosimane. We need a person who understands our boys.”
To validate his stance, the Sports Minister drew a direct parallel to international football powerhouses, pointing out how top-tier nations succeed by hiring tactical masterminds who understand their country’s footballing DNA.
“We’ve seen how France is playing with [Didier] Deschamps—they are playing their brand of soccer,” McKenzie noted, highlighting how continuity and cultural alignment can yield massive success on the world stage.
A SMOOTH TRANSITION IS INEVITABLE
McKenzie was quick to clarify that his endorsement of Mosimane is not a slight against current boss Hugo Broos, who recently guided Bafana Bafana to a bronze medal at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Instead, the Minister envisions a seamless passing of the torch.
“We love Hugo Broos, and he said if he’s not staying, he will hand over to Pitso. Pitso Mosimane must be the coach who takes Bafana Bafana forward.”
With the Sports Minister making his preference crystal clear, the pressure now shifts to SAFA. Whether the football governing body will align with the Ministry’s vision and bring ‘Jingles’ back to the national setup remains to be seen.
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