Mosimane vows to take football to South Africa’s top rugby schools
Newly appointed Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane has revealed plans to transform South African football by strengthening grassroots development.
Mosimane believes the country must look beyond traditional football schools to find and develop the next generation of talent. The 62-year-old is yet to be formally announced as Bafana coach after his appointment was approved by Safa’s NEC last week.
He says he wants football to become more accessible to all South Africans, regardless of their background. “Football is one place where we don’t care what colour you are, where you’re from, who’s your father. If you know how to play football, you will play,” Mosimane said.
Speaking on eNCA’s CheckPoint Podcast, Mosimane explained his motivation for writing his Youth Football Coaching Manual. He believes coaches need better resources and a clear development curriculum. Mosimane also wants to learn from the success of South African rugby.
He pointed out that rugby posts are often more visible at schools than football goalposts. “I respect rugby and I even have a Springbok shirt because that is our national team,” he said. “You have to check how the Bokke did it, where did they start? Which schools did they go to and what is the programme?”
The discussion turned to elite rugby schools such as Paul Roos, St Alban’s College and Paarl Boys. Mosimane admitted that convincing some of these schools to introduce football will be difficult. “Some of the schools here don’t want football in their schools,” he said. But he welcomed the challenge.
“You give me a challenge, which is a good challenge,” Mosimane responded.
He also believes South Africa must ensure talented players from all backgrounds have a pathway into Bafana Bafana. “We need white football players in Bafana Bafana. We need them. Why not?” he asked. “They play at youth level, but they fall off along the way.”
For Mosimane, the mission goes beyond improving Bafana Bafana. He wants to change how South Africa develops football talent, from schools and grassroots structures all the way to the national team.
