No end is sight as search for Bafana coach continues
Committee divided on candidates
The South African Football Association (Safa) technical committee members who are entrusted with finding a new coach for Bafana Bafana are not finding common ground and their differing opinions could drag the search longer.
South Africa needs to find a coach urgently because the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers will kick off in about six weeks’ time.
Bafana’s first qualifying match will be against Zimbabwe in Johannesburg on June 12.
After Bafana failed to qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), South Africa will need to have a better campaign and be better prepared for the World Cup.
The committee members sat down on Wednesday but came out of the meeting without a clear way forward. In the initial meeting last week, Pitso Mosimane, Benni Mccarthy and Manqoba Mngqithi were the frontrunners with the most number of votes.
But the tables seem to have turned and former Bafana,
Manchester United, Real Madrid, Portugal and Colombia head coach Carlos Queiroz has somehow joined the leading pack. Frenchman Herve Renard, who won the 2012 Afcon with Zambia, is also in the running after it was intimated to the technical committee that the new coach must have international experience.
Another suggestion was to use the SA Under-23 team that has qualified for the 2021 Olympic
Games for the World Cup qualifiers due to the shortage of time before the Zimbabwe game. The Under-23 coach David Notoane could be roped in to work with the new coach since he knows the players better.
“Names are coming out of nowhere and we need to find the new guy very soon. The Under-23 team has been together for some time and maybe we can include a few over-aged players such as Percy Tau and other stars,” said a member of the committee.
Another high-ranking Safa official added that it was about time that they made wholesome changes to the senior national squad.
“In South Africa, we have an abundance of young, hungry and determined players. After failing to reach another tournament, it is time for the group that played at the 2009 Fifa Under-20 World Cup in Egypt to step aside and the baton be passed on to younger players led by the likes of Percy Tau and Lebo Phiri,” he said.
“This means that it’s time to let go of players such as Thulani “Tyson” Hlatshwayo, Andile Jali, Ramahlwe Mphahlele, Kermit Erasmus, Thulani Serero, Kamohelo Mokotjo, Darren Keet and others who have been part of the Bafana set-up after the 2010 World Cup.”
Safa technical committee chairperson Jack Maluleke was not available for comment. His phone rang unanswered.
Names are coming out of nowhere and we need to find the new guy