Pitso Mosimane has set his sights on silverware with Bafana Bafana, making it clear that winning a major trophy will be one of his primary objectives during his second stint as national team coach.
Mosimane begins his second spell in charge when Bafana face Guinea in an AFCON qualifier at Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday afternoon, a match he will be desperate to win to set the tone for his four-year term.
Helping the team qualify for consecutive AFCON tournaments remains Mosimane’s primary target. He is eager to build on the foundation laid by Hugo Broos over the past five years, which saw Bafana reach two AFCON tournaments, claiming a bronze medal in the first, and secure a historic knockout-stage finish at the recent World Cup.
“We should accept and acknowledge the job that the previous coach has done. It has been good for us,” Mosimane said. “But we have to win a cup, right? We have to try and win a cup.”
With the World Cup likely out of reach as a title objective, the AFCON represents the team’s most realistic shot at silverware. Given that South Africa’s last AFCON triumph came 30 years ago, Mosimane believes it is time to set higher standards.
“It’s been too long. I want to win a cup,” Mosimane said. “I am not saying I am going to win, but I want to win a cup. That’s why I am here. The players want to win a cup, right? If we don’t try to win a cup, what are we trying to do? To qualify again, and again?
“We can’t win the cup if we don’t qualify. We know the steps that we have to take to win the cup. That’s the objective: maybe try to win the cup in four years.”
Having signed a four-year contract, Mosimane must deliver results swiftly. Failure to do so could not only mount immediate pressure on him, but also risk repeating the disappointment of his previous spell in charge.
