Igesund lives another day
Bid to bring back former coach Queiroz hits financial barrier
CARLOS Queiroz may prove too costly for Bafana Bafana. The Portuguese has been linked with a comeback to the coaching job of the South African senior national side.
But a source close to Queiroz, who is taking Iran to the Fifa World Cup, says the deal will fail to materialise if the man who was fired by the South African Football Association in 2002 does not get a R1-million deal.
“It will have to be a decent offer. As far as I can tell, he will not come here for anything less than a million a month.
“He has other offers from two national teams and two clubs.”
The source added that “Queiroz met Safa president Danny Jordaan four weeks ago. But the money is the issue and nothing concrete was agreed upon.”
Safa will be reluctant to hire Queiroz at a high cost after the public outcry that followed Carlos Alberto Parreira’s R1.2-mil-
The team has done extremely well [in Australasia]. It’s a young team. We’re happy
lion a month salary when the Brazilian was in charge of Bafana.
This deadlock means incumbent Bafana coach Gordon Igesund lives to fight another day. Yesterday, Safa set up a committee to meet Igesund, whose contract ends on August 31, and to discuss plans for Bafana.
Jordaan said after yesterday’s Safa meeting the national executive committee (NEC) felt it appropriate that Safa meet Igesund to discuss his future after a promising tour of Australasia, where an under-strength and youthful Bafana drew 1-1 against Australia and 0-0 against New Zealand.
Jordaan hinted more of the same might be asked from Igesund in terms of rebuilding and injecting young blood.
Asked if the discussion will involve Igesund's policy on youth, Jordaan replied: “Yes, it will involve everything. Not only his future plans but ours, and whether there is a convergence of future plans, because I think all of us want to see a Bafana that shows promise again.”
Safa want a coach in place by the end of July to prepare for SA’s first 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on September 5. Former Bafana and current Iran coach Queiroz and Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi have been linked to the job.
Jordaan said the NEC felt it fair to have a discourse on the coach’s plans for the future.
“Our overall impression is the team has done extremely well [in Australasia]. It’s a young team, inexperienced and we’re very happy with the commitment, dedication and performance. The NEC therefore decided there should be an engagement with the national coach. The committee will meet him tomorrow at 3pm.
“The members are Norman Arendse, CEO Dennis Mumble, vice-presidents Elvis Shisana and Lucas Nhlapo, technical committee chair Natasha Tsichlas, and Gay Mokoena from finance.”
Mumble said the process should be completed in the coming week as the committee has to report back to the NEC.
“Because this is an important matter, we can call a special NEC meeting, which would be done before the president, vicepresident Irvin Khoza and myself leave on Sunday for the Caf and Fifa congresses in Brazil,” Mumble said. Jordaan said Safa have a short list of candidates to talk to should Igesund not be reappointed. “And on that list, of course, is Gordon Igesund, and he will be the first person we speak to.”
The main issues on the agen- da yesterday were:
The appointment of a technical director for SA football;
The position of senior national team coach;
The continued programme of all national teams; and
A discussion on the Caf and Fifa congresses to be held be- fore the June 12 kick off of the World Cup in Brazil.
Jordaan said whoever was chosen to coach Bafana might have a bearing on who is appointed technical director.
“We have to make sure the two most senior technical persons in the association must be
able to work together.”