Pitso Mosimane tips Kaizer Chiefs to mirror their rivals’ dominance in the national squad, while expressing hope that South Africa maintains consistency

The arrival of Hugo Broos has been a blessing in the eyes of South African football fans, as the team has consistently broken records once thought unattainable for the country.

However, this also reflects the competitiveness of the Premier Soccer League, with Mamelodi Sundowns setting the standard in recent years. Their dominance showcases the benefits of the experience gained from consecutive appearances in the CAF Champions League and, most recently, the FIFA Club World Cup.

Meanwhile, Orlando Pirates have, in recent seasons, joined the chase by mounting a strong challenge in the domestic league, which was followed by rewards on the continental stage. Their consistent improvement has earned them national recognition, as they currently have the most players in the Bafana Bafana setup.

But Kaizer Chiefs are seemingly finally finding their footing as one of South Africa’s biggest clubs, having ended a ten-year trophy drought last year. This success has given them the opportunity to re-establish themselves among Africa’s top teams, particularly in the CAF Confederation Cup.

The former Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane is not far off with his predictions, as he believes the Naturena-based outfit could soon make their mark in the Bafana squad. Despite Broos’ past doubts about Chiefs’ form, he recently included four of their players in his AFCON preliminary squad.

The sixty-one-year-old coach gave credit to the Belgian coach, noting that the Brazilians and Buccaneers have had a significant impact in complementing the national team coach’s efforts. He added that the Glamour Boys are likely to follow suit soon.

“You can see that Pirates are doing well, and their players are in Bafana and Sundowns always help with players in Bafana [as well], and the style of play in Bafana is exactly the same [as] what you see in Pirates and Sundowns,” Mosimane told Sowetan.

“It [the Sundowns and Pirates style of play] benefits the national team; the [Bafana] coach [Hugo Broos] doesn’t have to do much because the style is embedded there. I think Chiefs will follow very soon. The coach [Broos] is good... he’s really done exceptionally well.”

Mosimane also highlighted that the country has always had the ability, reflecting on proud moments while giving credit to all the teams representing South Africa in various competitions. However, he reiterated that consistency remains a key issue.

“It’s not only about Bafana... the Under-17 [and] the U-20 went to the World Cup. Women’s football is also on the rise. We are in a good space, but it’s not the first time we are here, right? We’ve had the U-23s, the group of [Abbubaker] Mobara that played against Brazil [during the 2016 Rio Olympics] and created a problem by shocking them [by playing a goalless draw against Brazil], so we’ve always had those generations,” he added.

“We also had the generation of Lucas [Radebe] [and Mark] Fish, so don’t be surprised. It’s just that it’s not consistent.”

“The issue is, can we keep it up? Let’s avoid the dip... that’s the most important thing. It can be good to be up there, but it’s cold at the top to stay for long,” the former Sundowns coach said.

Bafana Bafana have big impressions to make as they hit the ground running at the Africa Cup of Nations in December.

Meanwhile, the Brazilians will be looking to secure crucial points on the road, and the Glamour Boys will be entertaining a troublesome Zamalek side on Sunday.

As for the Mayfair-based team, another piece of silverware is up for grabs in the Carling Knockout Cup, where they will hope to make amends for their short CAF Champions League campaign in front of their supporters.