Pitso will grab his chance

2006-04-11 21:30

Billy Cooper

Johannesburg - As a player Pitso Mosimane was a fighter. Now that his lifetime ambition of coaching Bafana Bafana has arrived, Mosimane will make the most of the chance and fight to make his temporary appointment a permanent one.

Mosimane has been placed in charge of Bafana's Cosafa Cup tournament. The opening game against Swaziland is in the Botswana capital, Gaborone, on May 20.

Mosimane told Daily Sun on Tuesay: "Being appointed as Bafana coach for the Cosafa Cup is the highlight of my career. It is without doubt my greatest achievement and I am very proud to have got this far.

"Now that I have the ball I intend running with it for as long as a can, hopefully until 2010."

Mosimane, who will be working with SA Under-23 coach Steve Komphela during the Cosafa Cup tournament, will not make sweeping changes.

However, he will:

Use the Cosafa Cup as a platform to rebuild Bafana ahead of the 2008 African Nations Cup and the World Cup in 2010.

Give the players who were on duty in the African Nations Cup in Egypt in January another chance.

Invite overseas players who are not regulars at their clubs to play in the tournament.

Probably field a side made up of mainly PSL players to play in the Cosafa Cup.

Take the Cosafa Cup seriously.

Said Mosimane: "The perception is that the Cosafa Cup is not important. That has to end. This is the first step on the road to not just the 2010 World Cup finals but to field a strong side in the 2008 Nations Cup (in Ghana).

"Even if I do not get the Bafana job on a permanent basis I want to leave a platform for whoever takes over so he can build from what I started."

Mosimane added that the difference between the Cosafa Cup and the African Nations Cup is the availability of players.

"The Cosafa Cup is played outside the Fifa calendar. Therefore it is more difficult getting certain players released. But I am aware of the difficulty and will work around it."

Mosimane stressed that despite the fact Bafana failed badly in Egypt he will not make wholesale changes. "This (Cosafa Cup) is a huge opportunity for the players to make amends. The core of the Cosafa Cup squad will come from the Nations Cup squad."

He stressed that countries such as Zimbabwe and Zambia would be fielding their best teams in the Cosafa Cup: "That is why I will be working day and night trying to get the best possible squad assembled. I know I will be judged on my results. I am confident I can succeed."

- Daily Sun