Pitso Mosimane has made an unbeaten and highly productive start to his second spell as South Africa manager, winning each of his first three matches back in charge.
Bafana Bafana have scored eight goals and conceded only once since Mosimane returned to the dugout, opening the new era with victories over Guinea, Eritrea and Egypt.
The first two wins came in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. South Africa defeated Guinea 2-1 before producing a convincing 5-0 victory against Eritrea.
Mosimane then faced a significantly different challenge in Cairo against Egypt, one of Africa’s traditional football powers. Despite making nine changes to his starting line-up, South Africa secured a 1-0 win.
Puso Dithejane scored the only goal on his international debut, after which Bafana Bafana held on to complete the victory and keep a clean sheet.
Mosimane has already shown flexibility
The three matches have allowed Mosimane to examine a range of players and tactical combinations. His decision to make wholesale changes for the Egypt match offered an early indication that he is prepared to rotate his squad while maintaining results.
South Africa’s record since his return is now three wins from three games, with eight goals scored and just one conceded. The results have also had an effect on the team’s position in the FIFA rankings, with South Africa rising as high as 48th in the current standings.
The victory in Egypt was particularly notable because it came after the changes made to the team and against opposition regarded as one of the continent’s leading football nations. It also gave Dithejane a memorable start to his international career.
Mosimane could hardly have wished for a better beginning to his second spell in charge. His side have combined strong results in the AFCON 2027 qualifiers with an important away win in Cairo, while conceding only once across the opening three fixtures.
There remains plenty of football to come, but the early return has already brought immediate improvement in results and provided Mosimane with the opportunity to assess different options within the squad.
Three matches into his latest tenure, the figures are clear: three victories, eight goals scored and one conceded.
