Da Gama may have laid foundation

OWEN DA GAMA has been given just one guarantee that pertains to his job security – he will be caretaker-coach when Bafana Bafana face Guinea-Bissau in Durban on 25 March and Angola three days later (venue still to be decided), while his bosses continue to look for a replacement for Shakes Mashaba, who was axed in December.

Nothing more and nothing less as Da Gama, too, faces the exit if the new Bafana coach decides he wants his own backroom staff. But Da Gama may have laid the perfect foundation for Mashaba’s successor after naming one of the strongest possible Bafana squads for the two friendly matches later this month.

With the return of several overseas-based players, among them midfielder Kamohelo Mokotjo and striker Kermit Erasmus, it was clear Mashaba had been nowhere near the selection panel.

The group of players called up also invited a question on whether Da Gama had a say in who should be in the national team picture in the two years or so he was Mashaba’s assistant.

“To be a good leader, you must first be a good follower and that is exactly what I did under coach Shakes. There was a healthy relationship and with my experience I was allowed to have my say,” Da Gama explained. “But the head coach has the final say, let’s not beat about the bush. All I can say is that we had a great relationship and he respected me, and likewise coach Thabo (Senong, the second assistant). I can’t sit here and say there were issues because the relationship was healthy.”

Da Gama doesn’t quite meet the criteria outlined by Safa in their hunt for a new national team head coach, but the positive response to the 25-man squad he picked yesterday helped his cause in possibly keeping the same role regardless of who comes in.

“I have not applied for the head coach job. But I would be happy to be part of the (technical) team. I have been here for over 50 national team games and I will be happy to stay on,” he said.