Mosimane begins his tenure with a difficult assignment against Guinea at Orlando Stadium on Saturday, but the former Mamelodi Sundowns coach has already outlined his ambitions for the tournament, which will be hosted across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
The 61-year-old takes over from Hugo Broos, who spent five years in charge and helped South Africa secure bronze at the 2023 AFCON, played in 2024. Bafana were eliminated in the Round of 16 at the 2025 tournament in Morocco before reaching the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Mosimane acknowledged the work done by his predecessor but believes the next step is to turn that progress into silverware.
"We should acknowledge and appreciate the previous coach for the job he did. It was a great five years," Mosimane told reporters at Friday's pre-match press conference.
"But we have to win a trophy. Let's try to win the cup."
Bafana have only won AFCON once, lifting the trophy on home soil in 1996. Their last appearance in the final came two years later when they finished runners-up to Egypt in Burkina Faso.
Mosimane is determined to challenge for the title but stopped short of making any guarantees.
"We need to win the cup; we haven't won it in far too long," he said.
"I want to win the cup. I'm not saying I guaranteed it, but I want to win it. That is why I'm here."
The coach also stressed that qualification remains the first step towards achieving that ambition.
"If we don't try to win the cup, what are we qualifying for? You can't win without qualifying first, but the clear objective is to lift the trophy."
Standing in Bafana's way on Saturday is a Guinea side they have failed to beat in their last three meetings.
Their most recent encounter ended in a goalless draw in Belgium in March 2022, while Guinea also recorded a 2-0 victory over South Africa during the 2006 AFCON group stage.
Senegal coach Patrick Vieira has admitted his side still have plenty to improve on after his first competitive match in charge ended with a 1-1 draw against Mozambique in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
Nigeria began their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign with a nervy 2-1 victory over Madagascar in Uyo on Friday.
Angola coach Aliou Cisse was pleased with his side's disciplined performance after they held Egypt to a goalless draw in their opening Group B AFCON 2027 qualifier at the Cairo International Stadium on Friday.
Pitso Mosimane admits his new look Bafana Bafana team will need to be cautious against a Guinea side brimming with talented players.
