Pitso Mosimane told SABC Sport on Wednesday that he will keep scheduling the toughest available opponents for Bafana Bafana, even if mixed results cost him professionally, as the national squad consolidates its new 48th position in the FIFA global standings.

South Africa earned that ranking through deliberate fixture selection rather than fortune. Mosimane's men defeated Guinea and Eritrea in AFCON 2027 qualifying before dismantling Egypt — then sitting third on the continent and 25th worldwide — in an international friendly that yielded significantly heavier ranking points than a routine low-ranked fixture would have produced.

"If you win against Egypt, you earn more points. If you beat Guinea, you collect more than when you overcome Eritrea — so yes, we are working towards that," the head coach stated, also taking a moment to acknowledge Hugo Broos for the foundation he inherited. Mosimane made his intentions unmistakable: friendlies must serve a strategic purpose, not cushion a résumé. "I am that coach who falls on his sword," he added, referencing the personal consequences he previously absorbed during his first tenure when deliberately arranged clashes against elite African opponents produced inconsistent outcomes and professional scrutiny.

Bafana currently occupy tenth place across the continent. A climb into the top six or seven African sides would strengthen their seeding bracket ahead of the PAMOJA region's AFCON draw next year, reducing exposure to multiple powerhouse nations in the group stage — a scenario that has repeatedly derailed South African campaigns before the knockout rounds even begin.

What struck observers most was Mosimane's framing of ranking points as transfer currency for his players. He noted that a higher national team standing makes South African footballers more attractive to European and Middle Eastern clubs scanning statistics before offering contracts — meaning every difficult match carries weight far beyond ninety minutes on a pitch.

With the next fixture window not opening until June, Mosimane confirmed his attention shifts inward: identifying fresher talent, running competitive internal assessments, and ensuring the squad depth can sustain the ambitious scheduling philosophy he has outlined since reclaiming the technical role. The question hanging over Loftus Versfeld and living rooms across the country remains the same — when Bafana eventually face another top-twenty African nation, will the points gamble finally deliver a seeding that changes everything?

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