Pitso Mosimane’s four Bafana Bafana training sessions

Pitso Mosimane’s national team assembled on Sunday before heading to the University of Johannesburg’s Auckland Park campus on Monday afternoon for his first work on the training pitch.

The sessions are an important part of preparations for a demanding international window. South Africa begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign against Guinea at Orlando Amstel Arena before travelling to Egypt to face Eritrea.

Mosimane has already made it clear that he does not intend to make drastic changes to a team that enjoyed a strong 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign under his predecessor Hugo Broos.

Instead, the coach wants to build on what is already in place while introducing his own ideas and standards.

PITSO MOSIMANE GETS TO WORK

Mosimane was pleased with how quickly the squad came together, particularly the punctual arrival of the locally based players. Overseas-based stars such as Luther Singh and Samukele Kabini also joined the group early as the coach began laying out his tactical plans.

The Bafana mentor has placed a strong emphasis on humility, hunger and maintaining high standards, despite the team’s recent success. Mosimane wants to take Bafana Bafana forward without unnecessarily disrupting the strong foundation he inherited.

However, his first week has already brought an injury setback.

Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Lebohang Maboe arrived at camp with an ankle injury suffered during his club’s weekend fixture. After undergoing medical assessments and scans, Maboe was withdrawn from the squad for the international window.

His absence opened the door for Orlando Pirates winger Tshepang Moremi, who received a late call-up to replace him.

BAFANA BAFANA BUILDING NEW TECHNICAL TEAM

While the players have been getting used to Mosimane’s methods, the coach has also finalised his technical team.

Goalkeeper coach Marcus Mashilo has joined the setup on a part-time basis, while Tshepo Mahao has been added as an assistant analyst and Goolam Valodia as opposition analyst.

They join assistant coaches Morena Ramoreboli, Musa Matlaba and Kabelo Rangoaga. Mosimane has previously stressed the importance of developing South African coaches, and his technical team reflects that approach.

The immediate focus, however, is on Guinea.

With the opening AFCON qualifier approaching, Mosimane has limited time to get his ideas across before Bafana Bafana face their first major test of his second tenure.

The opening sessions have therefore provided the first glimpse of what the new era could look like, with Mosimane now preparing his squad for a busy nine-day international window.

BAFANA BAFANA FIXTURES

• Guinea: Saturday, 26 September 2026 at 15:00 SAST — 2027 AFCON qualifier at Orlando Stadium, Johannesburg.
• Eritrea: Wednesday, 30 September 2026 at 18:00 SAST — 2027 AFCON qualifier at Al-Salam Stadium, Cairo, Egypt (neutral venue).
• Egypt: Sunday, 4 October 2026 at 20:00 SAST — International friendly at Cairo International Stadium, Cairo.

DO YOU EXPECT PITSO MOSIMAME TO BE SUCCESSFUL AS HUGO BROOS?

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