Safa keen to retain structures
Fate of age-group coaches will depend on talks with new Bafana boss
DANNY Jordaan has said Safa wants to keep the principle of synergy of coaches through the age groups‚ but will have discussions with whoever the new Bafana Bafana coach is before deciding on whether to retain the current incumbents.
The SA Football Association president emphasised that the system of junior coaches sitting on each other’s benches‚ up to the senior team‚ had worked in ensuring a smooth progression of players through the ranks‚ and must be retained.
Jordaan praised the work done by the junior coaches qualifying for major tournaments‚ though did not commit to them remaining in their jobs.
“We have said that what is important is the structure and the continuity from U17 to U20 to U23 to the senior national team‚” he said.
“So as a principle‚ we will stick to that. And secondly‚ we will have to discuss it with whoever the new coach is.”
Jordaan said that previously a lot of our players got lost because there was not a working relationship and the integration of the technical staff.
“The fact of the matter is Molefi Ntseki took the U17s to South Africa’s first participation at the U17 World Cup.
“This period in our history is the most successful in terms of qualification and participation of all of our teams.
“The U20s have just lost their crown of being Cosafa champions‚ and qualified for their World Cup.
“The U23s – we were the only country on the continent to have had two teams [men and women] at the Olympics.
“So our teams have had great success – Ntseki‚ Thabo Senong as the U20 coach‚ and [Owen da Gama] with the U23s at the Rio Olympics.
“So there are tick marks behind their achievements in their particular category.”
Senong and Da Gama were assistants to previous Bafana head coach Shakes Mashaba‚ who was sacked in December.
Senong was Da Gama’s U23 assistant‚ and Ntseki was in turn assistant to Senong.
The system has worked well in terms of an exchange of information and knowledge of which players are ready to make the step up in age group.
Jordaan has said Safa are set to announce a new Bafana head coach this week.