Why Pitso Mosimane must earn his Safa payday through performance, not upfront demands

I am all for Pitso Mosimane being paid what he duly deserves by Safa – but at the right time!

A highly-rated and renowned coach on the continent, Mosimane has duly earned his stripes in club football. He boasts a decorated CV that most nations on the continent – if not all – would love to have in a head coach.

Yet amid all the admiration, Safa, his home association, has offered him R10 million a year to succeed Hugo Broos. That is popularly regarded as peanuts, given that the now-retired Belgian pocketed R16.8 million annually.

Of course, if you don’t dig deeper into the figures provided, everyone would concur. What everyone seems to be neglecting is that Broos didn’t earn that lucrative figure immediately when he was appointed in May 2021, but over time.

And boy, if anything is to go by from his five-year stint with the association, he deserved every penny. Broos transformed South African football, ensuring that the team didn’t just qualify for major tournaments, but actively competed in them.

Enter Mosimane. The 62-year-old is set to return for a second spell at Bafana needing to wipe away the misfortunes of his first stint, where he was sacked, while proving he is more than just a club coach.

I strongly believe that Mosimane has what it takes to do just that – and build on Broos’ foundation. However, how he does it might be entirely different. That’s why he might need time.

Mosimane has lauded Broos’ no-nonsense demeanour and finds that the two share common values: defending their players and looking out for them not just as coaches, but as fatherly figures off the pitch as well.

However, Mosimane has long proven that he is his own man. He usually doesn’t want to fit into an existing structure; rather, the structure should fit into his system. That could see him wanting to ensure both the players and Safa know he is running the show.

For instance, Broos made it clear that there was limited space for the old guard in his team, asserting that the future lies with youngsters. Mosimane, however, has always believed that as long as someone is good enough, they are eligible to deliver for the team.

Given that coaches and players are in the business of delivering results, he can’t be blamed for that sentiment. That is also why he has always insisted on being involved in the recruitment process – he, not the scouts, will be sacked if they don’t get results.

The same applies to his trusted lieutenants. Mosimane is deeply loyal to his backroom staff because he believes they share his vision – including fitness coach Kabelo Rangoaga and analyst Musi Matlaba.

As such, the fact that Mosimane and his agency, MT Sports Marketing and Management, are still reluctant to put pen to paper with Safa is due to his backroom staff not getting what they consider fair – reportedly permanent contracts alongside the coach.

Again, that is commendable from Mosimane; it shows how much faith he has in his team to help him carry Bafana over the line – not only to qualify for the 2027 Afcon in the Pamoja region, but to challenge for the title as well.

However, with time already ticking against Mosimane and his crew as the qualifiers for the continental showpiece begin in three weeks, these delays might hinder their preparations. A slow start could then raise eyebrows if they are paid on par with Broos right from the outset.

It has also been reported that negotiations hit a snag after Mosimane decided against granting Safa his image rights, including those of his podcast, Changing the Game with Pitso Mosimane. That is tricky, given reports that he has negotiated for Bafana’s sponsors, Adidas and Standard Bank, to compensate him whenever he uses his likeness or regalia.

Ultimately, it seems only wise for Mosimane’s camp to accept most of the current offers on the table, but with a clause to renegotiate terms down the line based on results and performance. That approach might not offer immediate maximum financial gain, but it provides future security.