SA’s big names sitting at home

Sy Lerman

In what might be viewed as a rarity, a considerable number of top South African-based football coaches – all of whom have been successful at one time or another – are effectively out of a job.

Among them are Gordon Igesund, who holds the record of guiding four different clubs to the the Premier League title; Muhsin Ertugral, who enjoyed some notable successes with Kaizer Chiefs and other clubs: dismissed Bafana Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba; Owen da Gama, who has impressed at both club and national level and former Wits, Orlando Pirates and Ajax Cape Town mentor Roger de Sa (above).

It might have been accepted that a number of clubs might be queuing up to obtain the services of one of these stalwarts.

Instead there seems no rush to sign up any of the “forgotten five” – despite Igesund and Ertugral having been among the favourites to succeed Eric Tinkler at Cape Town City before he moved on to SuperSport United.

Igesund was surprisingly axed by Highlands Park four games before they were eventually relegated from the Premiership and De Sa experienced a brief and frustrating period with Maritzburg United before moving on.

Ertugral spent even less time at Orlando Pirates and Mashaba’s spat with Safa that culminated in him being fired, received endless publicity and was only recently concluded after arbitration.

Da Gama, after spells as Bafana assistant and caretaker coach, is still employed by Safa, but without any agreement on his future – or whether he will even remain with the national body after new Bafana coach Stuart Baxter revealed he was looking elsewhere for an assistant.