20100716
africanews

The new national team coach of South Africa is Pitso Mosimane. He succeeds Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreiria, who resigned after South Africa failed to progress beyond the group stage in the just ended 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The announcement at a national FA news conference in Johannesburg was widely expected, as 45-year-old Mosimane has been a Bafana Bafana assistant coach for four years. Hosts South Africa were eliminated in the first round of the just completed 2010 FIFA World Cup after drawing with Mexico, losing to Uruguay and defeating France.

Parreira, coach of the 1994 Brazil FIFA World Cup-winning team, indicated when he took control of South Africa a second time last November that he would step down after the finals.
"I have taken this job not to turn things upside down but will make changes if necessary, even if they are unpopular. I am ready to take Bafana Bafana to a higher level," Mosimane told FIFA.com

Mosimane faces a difficult immediate challenge with South Africa in the same 2012 CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifying group as defending champions Egypt, Sierra Leone and Niger. Egypt have won the last three Nations Cup tournaments and west African minnows Sierra Leone triumphed at home and drew away when they faced South Africa in qualifiers for the 2010 African showpiece.

South African Football Association, SAFA CEO Leslie Sedibe said performance clauses set for the new coach in a four-year contract included qualifying for the 2012 and 2013 Cup of Nations tournaments and the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. "Pitso understands fully the performance goals he has to meet. We are impressed and confident he can achieve them," he said without explaining what would happen if a goal was not met.

Mosimane inherits from Parreira a team ranked joint 66 in the world beside Macedonia and 12th in Africa behind powerhouses like Egypt, 2010 FIFA World Cup quarter-finalists Ghana and Ivory Coast.

The former Bafana Bafana striker played professionally in Greece and sprang to coaching prominence at Pretoria club SuperSport United early this decade after succeeding ex-Liverpool goalkeeper, Bruce Grobbelaar.

South Africa play a friendly against Ghana on 11 August in Johannesburg, open their Nations Cup campaign at home to Niger in Nelspruit the following month and travel to Sierra Leone during October.