Da Gama finds new home at Highlands Park
Coach says four other clubs were keen on services
Newly appointed Highlands Park coach Owen da Gama has revealed that he had four other offers on the table from PSL and NFD clubs before opting to join the Johannesburg outfit.
Da Gama has made a return to club football after spending three years working as Bafana Bafana assistant coach.
He replaces Les Grobler, who was axed with his assistant Thierry Mulonzo after only five months in the job.
Grobler was hired to take over from Gordon Igesund in May in an effort to salvage their faltering season, but it was too little too late as they were relegated from the Absa Premiership.
The former Platinum Stars and Orlando Pirates coach says it took a two-hour meeting with Highlands boss Larry Brookstone on Sunday to accept the job.
“I was very cautious before making a decision because I
‘‘ It was not a tough decision to make in the end
had been approached by two PSL clubs and two from the NFD,” Da Gama told Sowetan yesterday.
“I had been to three different parts of the country to meet clubs and did not like what I saw. I’ve been speaking with teams for three weeks since leaving the national team setup.”
Da Gama has reunited with Brookstone after working together for eight years at Silver Stars (now Platinum Stars).
“It was not a tough decision to make in the end. It’s just unbelievable to work with people who believe in you and you know will have your back 100%.
“Back at Silver Stars I worked with them and I never signed any (contract) because of the trust and good relationship we enjoyed,” Da Gama added.
After two wins, two losses and a draw, Highlands are ninth on the table. On Saturday, they suffered a 1-0 loss against Mbombela United.
Da Gama, meanwhile, also insisted that his relationship with the South African Football Association remained cordial after parting ways with Bafana earlier in the month.
“My exit from Safa was smooth and amicable. My contract issue was resolved on September 7 and I would like to thank the president, Danny Jordaan and the CEO, Dennis Mumble, for their support and professionalism.”