Pitso Mosimane, a former Bafana Bafana coach and ex-South Africa international has expressed his willingness to consider an offer from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to become the head coach of the Super Eagles.
Mosimane’s statement came after he parted ways with Al Wahda in early November.
With a coaching career that has spanned several notable clubs such as SuperSport United, Mamelodi Sundowns, Al Ahly, Al Ahli, and Al Wahda, Mosimane is a well-respected and experienced figure in African football.
Mosimane’s first stint as the caretaker coach for Bafana Bafana was in 2007, after which he served as an assistant coach under Brazilian coaches Carlos Alberto Parreira and Joel Santana.
He subsequently took over as the head coach from July 15, 2010, to June 5, 2012, before losing the job following South Africa’s failure to qualify for the 2012 AFCON co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
In a recent report by KickOff, Mosimane expressed his interest in the Super Eagles job while acknowledging the immense talent of the Nigerian squad, citing players such as Samuel Chukwueze and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.
However, he emphasized that talent alone is not enough and highlighted the coach’s responsibility to instil confidence, stability, leadership, a winning mentality, and teamwork within the team.
Mosimane believes that the role of the coach is crucial in bringing out the best in the team, and while he is interested in the Super Eagles job, he also stated that the decision to hire him would depend on whether the NFF wants an African coach.
He highlighted the challenge of African coaches being overlooked in favour of foreign coaches, citing teams like Morocco, Senegal, Algeria, and Egypt, who have had success under African coaches.
Mosimane’s statement underscores the need for more opportunities for African coaches to lead national teams and for African football to become more self-reliant.
