Igesund: I’m not going anywhere
BAFANA Bafana coach Gordon Igesund yesterday dismissed speculation that he is set to join Absa premiership side Super-Sport United in the coming weeks.
Igesund confirmed that he is aware of the speculation about his future, but he insisted that he has no interest in going back to club football
‘‘Why would I be joining club football when I have a contract with Safa?” he asked.
‘‘Last time people spoke about my future with Bafana before the Safa inquiry and look what happened. I was cleared of any wrongdoing.
‘‘I am busy making preparations for our international friendly games against Australia and New Zealand at the end of this month. I will later start working on a 30-man squad in preparation for the Afcon tournament in September.”
Igesund said he was aware of his name being linked to three PSL clubs.
‘‘I have heard a lot of stories about teams from Dubai, Egypt and PSL teams making inquiries about me. It’s all speculation. These things happen a lot in football.”
Matsatsantsa coach Cavin Johnson — who is only in the first season of a threeyear contract with United — was surprised by the speculation and said yesterday there are people who are deliberately trying to put him under pressure and destabilise his team.
‘‘There is nothing like that,” he said. ‘‘I have a three-year contract with United and there has not been any indication from the management regarding what you are telling me. As far as I am concerned everything is going according to plan. We are also going to meet again after we have wrapped up the PSL season. But I would not like to involve myself in speculation that could affect my preparations for the new season.
‘‘I have been in football longer than I can remember, I know what is going on. There is a lot of dirt. But I am the kind of a person who likes working for the game. I believe in developing soccer for the country, not for Cavin Johnson. I am not a mercenary. I come from an area where we work hard.”
Attempts to contact United’s chairman Khulu Sibiya proved fruitless yesterday.
But the United chairman said last month he believed that Johnson still needs time.
“I believe in giving a coach three good seasons. Cavin has not failed. I have all the confidence in the world that he is capable of taking this club to another level,” Sibiya said at the time.