Following a historic, barrier-breaking FIFA World Cup campaign that saw South Africa escape the group stages for the first time in history, legendary head coach Hugo Broos is widely tipped to step down on an absolute high.
With SAFA bombarded by over 60 applications from across the globe, the focus has fiercely shifted to three iconic local tacticians. Here is the definitive ranking of the elite local candidates positioning themselves to inherit the national team.
1. Pitso Mosimane — The Unrivaled Frontrunner
Status: Available / Free Agent
Why he’s the favorite: “Jingels” is arguably the greatest and most decorated head coach in modern African football history. Since leaving the national team in 2012, Mosimane has built an extraordinary international CV—winning multiple CAF Champions League titles with Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly, and managing heavyweights in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Iran.
Importantly, he has the ultimate political backing. Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie has publicly thrown his entire weight behind Mosimane:
“What more do you want Pitso to do? I put my wage as Minister of Sport behind Pitso… Our players are young, we will unearth a lot of players, Pitso Mosimane will take Bafana forward.”
2. Rulani Mokwena — The Tactical Modernist
Status: Current Technical Director at Al-Ittihad
Why he’s a serious threat: The former Mamelodi Sundowns mastermind represents the absolute cutting edge of modern tactical structure. Mokwena dominated domestic football with Masandawana before expanding his horizons across North Africa and the Middle East with Wydad AC, MC Alger, and Al-Ittihad. Averaging an elite two points per game during his recent North African stints, Mokwena’s hyper-analytical approach makes him a stellar long-term project candidate.
3. Benni McCarthy — The Iconic Motivator
Status: Head Coach of the Kenya National Team
Why he’s the wildcard: As a legendary former striker and the only South African to lift the UEFA Champions League as a player, McCarthy commands instant dressing-room reverence. His managerial rise has been rapid—taking AmaZulu to a historic second-place finish, sharpening elite forwards at Manchester United, and cutting his international teeth as the current boss of Kenya. While he ranks third purely on head-coaching volume, his star power is undeniable.
The Verdict: Unfinished Business for ‘Jingles’
While Mokwena and McCarthy remain tied down to lucrative international and continental commitments, Pitso Mosimane stands out as the ultimate, unattached solution. After Broos laid a world-class foundation, Mosimane has a golden opportunity to return to the national setup and finish the redemption story he started over a decade ago.
