Safa puts pressure on Mosimane

Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane stands to lose his job if his team fails to make it ot the 2013 African Cup of Nations final.

After Bafana Bafana's dismal attempt to qualify for this year's Afcon tournament, they have a lot to prove. The fact that they automatically qualify for the 2013 tournament, since SA is the host country, has done little to ease the pressure on Mosimane.

The matter was addressed at yesterday's media briefing at Safa House in Johannesburg. Here, acting president of Safa Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana's call to help Mosimane in his quest to do well in the tournament had a threatening undercurrent: “But key ... is to give our coach every support, from finances to administration, so he can have no excuses. We will not be amused if we are beaten.”

Safa intends to ensure that SA becomes one of Africa's top three teams and will assist Mosimane by boosting his assistant coaching staff and expanding the team of selectors. The team must reach the final or else Mosimane faces the axe. The self-proclaimed man for the job recently said: "In Africa, with the level we have, I'm not the best, but I am one of the best." Now's his chance to prove it.

Yet how much responsibility lies with the coach and how much lies with the players? Without a committed team, Mosimane faces a dismal fate. Both coach and team must unite to restore pride to SA's soccer-loving nation.