Depending on where you stand, Pitso Mosimane's decision to close the door on a possible return to the Bafana Bafana coaching job is either a snub, or a sign of fear on his part.
Speaking to him sometime last year before the position became vacant, Mosimane made it clear he would prefer to remain at Mamelodi Sundowns and not return to Bafana.
Mosimane has now reiterated that following his winning the CAF coach of the year award last year, quelling speculation that he would replace the sacked Shakes Mashaba as national coach.
Some may read his stance as a snub to the nation; others may see it as an indication that he's comfortable at his Sundowns job and therefore reluctant to take new challenges.
But for me, Mosimane has taken a principled stance. He's dreading falling into a trap of a false sense of popularity, in a country where you can be hailed as a hero today, and pilloried tomorrow.
Mosimane, of course, has some unfinished business at Safa House.
He was sacked on the back of a draw with Ethiopia in the very opening 2014 World Cup qualifier.
Prior to that, he failed to lead the country to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations finals, infamously misreading the rules but surviving an immediate chop.
The axe came, inevitably, eight months later.
He then took a sabbatical, turning down offers from PSL teams while fighting with Safa over compensation.
Resurfacing at Sundowns in December 2012, he found the club in dire straits, without a domestic trophy for some years and worse, having sunk into an abyss of a relegation dogfight.
He failed to lead them to a top-eight finish. That, however, proved to be the only blip he would have at the Brazilians.
Since then, his stock has risen, with a trophy cabinet that now boasts two league championships, the Nedbank Cup, Telkom Knockout and, most prized of all, the CAF Champions League.
This, however, doesn't mean Mosimane can return to the national set-up and achieve instant success.
He fully knows this. Bafana is a national team that has tainted many CVs. Coaches who arrived there with great reputations these days possibly omit their stints at Bafana from their updated CVs.
It's a complex team, with more pressure mounted by an expectant, overzealous fan base that refuses to accept their team has fallen way below international standards.
Many South Africans still live in the highly misleading era of the mid-1990s, forgetting that the talent then was incomparable to the mediocrity of today. It's akin to expecting a battered Beetle to perform like a mean Lambo.
There's no chance of Mosimane being allowed as long a time as he's had at Sundowns to build a team he wants.
Success is required in the next few months, with the World Cup qualifiers resuming in June.
It would be an unnecessary risk for him to return to the Bafana post, not least when Mosimane's project at Sundowns is taking shape.
Abandoning ship in an attempt to rescue one which has sunk into a deeper rut over the last decade would be senseless.
Bafana would serve only to spoil a CV that's slowly approaching legend status.
It's good that Mosimane has told Safa "no, thanks" before they even come knocking.
It would be senseless for Pitso to rejoin Bafana
Depending on where you stand, Pitso Mosimane's decision to close the door on a possible return to the Bafana Bafana coaching job is either a snub, or a sign of fear on his part.
Speaking to him sometime last year before the position became vacant, Mosimane made it clear he would prefer to remain at Mamelodi Sundowns and not return to Bafana.
Mosimane has now reiterated that following his winning the CAF coach of the year award last year, quelling speculation that he would replace the sacked Shakes Mashaba as national coach.
Some may read his stance as a snub to the nation; others may see it as an indication that he's comfortable at his Sundowns job and therefore reluctant to take new challenges.
But for me, Mosimane has taken a principled stance. He's dreading falling into a trap of a false sense of popularity, in a country where you can be hailed as a hero today, and pilloried tomorrow.
Mosimane, of course, has some unfinished business at Safa House.
He was sacked on the back of a draw with Ethiopia in the very opening 2014 World Cup qualifier.
Prior to that, he failed to lead the country to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations finals, infamously misreading the rules but surviving an immediate chop.
The axe came, inevitably, eight months later.
He then took a sabbatical, turning down offers from PSL teams while fighting with Safa over compensation.
Resurfacing at Sundowns in December 2012, he found the club in dire straits, without a domestic trophy for some years and worse, having sunk into an abyss of a relegation dogfight.
He failed to lead them to a top-eight finish. That, however, proved to be the only blip he would have at the Brazilians.
Since then, his stock has risen, with a trophy cabinet that now boasts two league championships, the Nedbank Cup, Telkom Knockout and, most prized of all, the CAF Champions League.
This, however, doesn't mean Mosimane can return to the national set-up and achieve instant success.
He fully knows this. Bafana is a national team that has tainted many CVs. Coaches who arrived there with great reputations these days possibly omit their stints at Bafana from their updated CVs.
It's a complex team, with more pressure mounted by an expectant, overzealous fan base that refuses to accept their team has fallen way below international standards.
Many South Africans still live in the highly misleading era of the mid-1990s, forgetting that the talent then was incomparable to the mediocrity of today. It's akin to expecting a battered Beetle to perform like a mean Lambo.
There's no chance of Mosimane being allowed as long a time as he's had at Sundowns to build a team he wants.
Success is required in the next few months, with the World Cup qualifiers resuming in June.
It would be an unnecessary risk for him to return to the Bafana post, not least when Mosimane's project at Sundowns is taking shape.
Abandoning ship in an attempt to rescue one which has sunk into a deeper rut over the last decade would be senseless.
Bafana would serve only to spoil a CV that's slowly approaching legend status.
It's good that Mosimane has told Safa "no, thanks" before they even come knocking.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos