Pitso Mosimane officially begins his second tenure as Bafana Bafana head coach this weekend, marking the start of South Africa’s qualification campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
A total of 48 African nations will compete across various groups for a place at the historic tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Jungles returns to the hotseat
Mosimane takes the helm following the departure of Hugo Broos, who stepped down at the end of July 2026.
Broos concluded a five-year spell as Bafana Bafana’s longest-serving coach, capped by leading South Africa to the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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SAFA has secured Mosimane on a four-year contract to steer the national team through the 2027 AFCON and toward the 2030 World Cup cycle.
Mosimane previously managed Bafana Bafana between July 2010 and June 2012, recording 11 victories, 8 draws, and 5 defeats across 24 international matches.
From Guinea to Cairo
The immediate objective for Mosimane is securing qualification for the 2027 AFCON. South Africa starts its campaign in Group D, hosting Guinea on Saturday, 26 September, before traveling to face 184th-ranked Eritrea four days later on Wednesday, 30 September. In November, Bafana Bafana will meet Benni McCarthy’s Kenya in a crucial back-to-back qualifying double-header.
Following the September qualifiers, Mosimane’s squad will head to North Africa to play a high-profile friendly against Egypt on 4 October – taking full advantage of the lengthy FIFA international window.
Both South Africa and Egypt enjoyed strong World Cup runs earlier this year, exiting in the Round of 32 and Round of 16 respectively. The fixture also carries personal significance for Mosimane, who previously won two CAF Champions League titles in Cairo with Al Ahly.
Group Permutations
The qualification structure in Group D presents a specific challenge due to Kenya’s inclusion. Since Kenya has automatically qualified for the 2027 tournament as co-hosts alongside Tanzania and Uganda, only one additional nation from Group D will advance.
If Kenya finishes top of the group, the second-placed team will earn the qualifying spot. That in mind, if any other nation wins the group, only that team will progress. With Eritrea earmarked as the group underdogs, the direct head-to-head encounters between South Africa and Guinea are expected to determine which nation secures their invitation to the tournament proper.
Backroom Appointments
To prepare for these critical fixtures, Mosimane has completely restructured the technical support staff to align with his operational methods. Morena Ramoreboli joins as assistant coach after leading South Africa to the 2021 COSAFA Cup title and a bronze medal at the 2024 tournament in Durban.
Performance analyst Musi Matlaba and fitness coach Kabelo Rangoaga have also returned to work alongside Mosimane. Furthermore, Marcus Mashilo, currently coaching at Marumo Gallants and a former colleague of Mosimane at Mamelodi Sundowns from 2013 to 2020, replaces Grant Johnson as goalkeeper coach.