Jomo Sono drops bombshell on his Bafana Bafana appointment
South African football legend and former Bafana Bafana coach Jomo Sono has lifted the lid on a remarkable chapter of his coaching career. He has revealed that he first learnt about his appointment to the national team through the media.
Sono made the startling revelation during an interview on Game On on Radio 2000, where he reflected on his time in charge of Bafana Bafana and congratulated newly appointed coach Pitso Mosimane.
According to Sono, the manner in which his appointment was handled left him questioning the leadership of the South African Football Association (SAFA) at the time.
He said he only discovered from a newspaper that he had been appointed Bafana coach, before approaching then SAFA leadership for answers.
“My appointment as Bafana Coach was announced in the paper first before I was told about it. I asked Molefi Oliphant (then SAFA president) why did they do that,” said Sono.
Sono believes his patriotism was used against him because those in charge knew he would struggle to turn down the opportunity to serve his country.
“They knew that there was no way I could say no because I always put the country first. I was earning R100 000 a month. At least I could buy bread.”
The football icon also used the interview to throw his full support behind Mosimane, saying the new Bafana coach’s confidence and refusal to be influenced by critics could be crucial to his success.
Sono acknowledged that Mosimane is sometimes labelled arrogant, but argued that such confidence can actually be an advantage in South African football.
“Some say he’s arrogant like me but sometimes arrogance helps, especially in SA football. Arrogance is about believing in yourself and that’s why Pitso has achieved so much. He’s never swayed by critics or noise.”
Sono also reignited the debate around the treatment of South African coaches compared to their foreign counterparts, revealing that local coaches have historically been paid less despite their commitment to the national team.
“Coaches that come from abroad always get more money than local coaches. Me, Trott (Moloto), Shakes (Mashaba), Clive (Barker). They took advantage of our patriotism.”
He believes Mosimane was therefore justified in standing firm during negotiations.
“So Pitso was right to stand his ground. I knew he wouldn’t take the R5 million. Even I would have said no, I want the same as the white man.”
Sono’s revelations have now placed fresh focus on how local coaches have been treated over the years, while his comments about his own Bafana appointment have opened another chapter in the long-running debate around SAFA’s handling of national-team coaches.
