Queiroz out of running
Keshi, Rijkaard joint favourites for Bafana job
CARLOS Queiroz is out of the Bafana Bafana coach race after SA Football Association (Safa) president Danny Jordaan said last night they would not enter a bidding war for his services.
Queiroz reportedly agreed to extend his contract as Iran coach yesterday and Jordaan said they would look at the other candidates on the short list, rather than try to outbid the Iran Football Federation (IFF).
“We are not obsessed with getting one single person to coach Bafana,” Jordaan said.
“If he [Queiroz] is no longer available, that is not a problem because we have other candidates. What we will not do is get into a bidding war for him. Our plans have not changed and we will announce a new Bafana Bafana coach on Saturday.”
Queiroz appeared to hold a slight edge over his rivals in the race for the Bafana top job and last night’s dramatic events have elevated Nigerian Stephen Keshi and Dutchman Frank Rijkaard to joint favourites.
Queiroz earned the equivalent of R22.1-million a year as Iran’s mentor before the World Cup in Brazil, and Jordaan said they kept close tabs on developments in Iran when it came to their attention that the IFF were trying to convince the coach to stay on after the World Cup.
“We have to negotiate about the contract in the details,” the Tehran Times quoted Queiroz as saying last night. “I wish to stay as Iran coach. The Iranians will always stay in my heart. I like to continue my job but the deal has not yet finalised.”
Safa will announce the new Bafana coach after an extraor- dinary executive committee meeting on Saturday. A technical committee led by Natasha Tsichlas and former Bafana captain Lucas Radebe will have officially narrowed down the shortlist to three by Tuesday.
After a meeting on Tuesday the technical committee will recommend the man they believe should be allowed to take the biggest job in SA football.
Keshi, Rijkaard and SA under23 coach Ephraim ‘‘Shakes” Mashaba are the last men standing after an unprecedented number of CVs from around the globe were sent to Safa following the announcement last month that Gordon Igesund’s contract would not be extended.
Mashaba is a late entrant in the race after declaring his
The man recommended by the technical committee will be contacted this week
availability this week. But few executive members will back his candidacy because he has already been tasked with spearheading the revival of Safa’s development ranks, an undertaking Jordaan believes is crucial for the revival of the domestic game.
All three men have supporters among Safa executive committee members and the past few days have been marked by behind-the-scenes lobbying.
Jordaan said the man recommended by the technical committee will be contacted during the week and telephonic discussions will begin in earnest.
‘‘We will engage him and after finalising everything, we then ask him to come to SA so that he is present when we make the announcement on Saturday.”
The many other coaches who have sent CVs to Safa almost daily will be acknowledged.
Some of the coaches whose names appear on a list seen by the Sunday Times are former Manchester United coach David Moyes, Italian Giovanni Trapattoni, Dutchman Dick Advocaat and Netherlands assistant coach Patrick Kluivert.
A new technical director is also supposed to be announced on Saturday, but Safa officials are considering postponing his appointment to a later date.
Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter has been mentioned as a possibility, but the Safa executive now believes that it might be a good idea to get the new coach’s opinion first before making the announcement.
‘‘What if the coach does not have the same philosophy as the technical director?” asked an executive committee member.