His message to his Bafana Bafana players is simple, good is simply not good enough.
Bafana Bafana players after the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Guinea at Orlando Amstel Arena. (Photo by Daniel Hlongwane/Gallo Images)
Pitso Mosimane understands where we come from as a football nation, and I have no doubt that his message to his Bafana Bafana players is simple, good is simply not good enough.
Bafana’s brilliant start
Three wins in as many matches is the start the coach would have wanted, but more importantly, a seed of competition has been planted within the squad. Good luck to anyone trying to break into this first selection for the current FIFA International break.
Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Khuliso Mudau will be expected to fight their way back into the team when fit, but the competition for places has now been intensified, and that can only benefit Bafana.
The victory over Egypt in their own backyard with a second-string side will go a long way towards creating the healthy competition that was perhaps missing under the previous regime.
Widening the pool is important because when injuries occur, fringe players need to be ready for the big games rather than being undercooked when called upon. What makes the win over Egypt even sweeter is that, with the exception of Mohamed Salah, they were at full strength.
Not many people would have backed Bafana to leave Egypt with a win after Mosimane made nine changes to the team that beat Eritrea last Wednesday. Only Sphephelo Sithole and Ime Okon survived from the previous match as the coach made wholesale changes, yet Bafana still found a way to win.
That is perhaps the most encouraging part of this early Mosimane era. He is not simply building a strong starting XI, he is building a squad in which players know that their places must be earned.
Pitso’s long game
The former Mamelodi Sundowns and Al-Ahly coach is playing the long game. He has made his desire to win the Africa Cup of Nations very clear. Perhaps this is what Bafana needed, a new voice, high standards and a coach who demands more from his players.
The benchmark remains the class of 1996, the team that won the AFCON on home soil. Mosimane knows that anything less than competing for major honours will not be enough. It is still early, but the signs are encouraging. The journey back to the summit of African football is off to a flying start.
