A new controversy has broken out in South African football as a result of incendiary comments made by Junior Khanye, a former winger for Bafana Bafana. Khanye believes that Pitso Mosimane is going to be named head coach of the national side in preparation for the FIFA World Cup.

As a team, Bafana Bafana will be led by Pitso Mosimane at the World Cup. Our elimination from AFCON has resulted in Hugo Broos’s departure tonight. “There’s love and then there’s reality,” Khanye said, causing a stir among the local football community.

Following Bafana Bafana’s heartbreaking elimination from the Africa Cup of Nations—a tournament that had sparked optimism but ultimately ended in disappointment—Khanye makes his statement. Hugo Broos has received accolades for bringing order back to the national team, but their elimination from the AFCON has shown that they still have a long way to go before they can claim victory on the African continent.

Khanye claims that desire and performance have surpassed sentiment and devotion. With World Cup qualification and preparation just around the corner, his “love versus reality” comment seems to represent the increasing sentiment among detractors that Bafana Bafana need a coach with experience at the top level of pressure football.

Such discussions will invariably centre on Pitso Mosimane. With a slew of league and continental titles under his belt, including the CAF Champions League, the much-lauded coach has become a household name on a global scale. His track record of success in managing top players, dealing with high expectations, and advancing teams to the knockout round of competitions has established him as a front-runner for the national position.

The South African Football Association has not yet commented on Broos’s future or the possible appointment of Mosimane. However, Khanye’s remarks echo the feelings of those in the football community, who believe that Bafana Bafana require a complete overhaul instead of small steps forward.

Voters are still not in agreement. On the basis of better organisation and rekindled faith in the team, some contend that Broos merits additional time to finish his project. Some say that South Africa can’t afford to waste time anymore, what with the World Cup coming up and its continental rivals making more and more progress.

At least for the time being, Khanye’s audacious assertion has fuelled an already heated national debate. Decisions made in the next weeks might determine South Africa’s World Cup adventure for years to come, and whether his statements are prophetic or just controversial, one thing is sure: the future of Bafana Bafana’s technical bench is once again in the limelight.