SAFA has improved its financial offer to Pitso Mosimane as negotiations over his return to Bafana Bafana move closer to a conclusion.
The association’s president Danny Jordaan confirmed after Saturday’s National Executive Committee [NEC] meeting that the association had backed Mosimane’s appointment as Hugo Broos’ successor.
The NEC ratified the technical committee’s recommendation to appoint the three-time CAF Champions League-winning coach, with only the final contractual details still to be resolved.
“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,” Jordaan said.
FARPost understands SAFA has now increased its initial offer after Mosimane’s representatives pushed for a package that better reflected his standing and previous earnings. The association had initially tabled a package of R5 million a year, which was well below the reported R1.4 million-a-month salary Broos earned. Mosimane was earning about R1.5 million a month when he left Mamelodi Sundowns in 2020.
The revised offer has brought the two sides closer, with the remaining negotiations understood to centre on final contractual details.
MOSIMANE READY TO GET TO WORK
Despite the outstanding issues, sources close to the talks indicate Mosimane is ready to begin preparations for his return to the national team.
The 62-year-old is expected to retain strength and conditioning coach Kabelo Rangoaga and match performance analyst Musi Matlaba, who were part of his previous technical setup. An additional assistant coach with international experience could also be added.
The outstanding contractual matters are therefore not expected to delay the start of preparations, with Mosimane keen to get to work ahead of Bafana’s next competitive assignments.
His immediate focus will be the 2027 AFCON qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea in September. The extended international window could also allow Bafana to arrange friendly matches as Mosimane begins putting his stamp on the team.
SAFA’s decision to improve the offer appears to have removed the biggest hurdle in the negotiations, with the association now working towards finalising the agreement and formally unveiling Mosimane this week.
Mosimane returns to Bafana after Broos brought his six-year tenure to an end. The Belgian guided South Africa to consecutive AFCON tournaments, won bronze at the 2023 edition in Ivory Coast and secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Bafana subsequently reached the knockout stage of the World Cup before losing to Canada in the last 32.
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