Queiroz, Krol, Hunt on Bafana hot seat shortlist

Carlos Queiroz could be set to return to his former position as Bafana Bafana coach. Photo: Jason Reed/Reuters

Carlos Queiroz could be set to return to his former position as Bafana Bafana coach. Photo: Jason Reed/Reuters

Published Mar 1, 2017

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JOHANNESBURG - The South African Football Association (Safa) appear to have narrowed their shortlist for the vacant Bafana Bafana coaching job down to just three men with an announcement expected before the end of the week.

The Star understands that Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz remains the favourite to replace Shakes Mashaba, who was sacked in December last year, but this is not a foregone conclusion with Ruud Krol and Gavin Hunt believed to be in the mix.

The number of candidates for the national team post was cut down to five last week according to Safa chief executive Dennis Mumble, with speculative reports linking SuperSport United coach Stuart Baxter, Cameroon and 2017 Africa Cup of Nations winner Hugo Broos as well as former England manager Roy Hodgson to the job.

Mumble would not reveal the names then, but an insider privy to developments in the hunt for a new Bafana coach said Queiroz, currently in a dispute with the Iran national team over his resignation, Krol, who won the treble with Orlando Pirates in 2011 but is currently unattached, as well as Bidvest Wits coach Gavin Hunt were in the running for the hot seat.

The Bafana job was left unoccupied after Mashaba was fired for gross misconduct, insubordination and violating the Safa communication policy following an ill-timed outburst at the Peter Mokaba Stadium minutes after South Africa beat Senegal 2-1 in a crucial 2018 World Cup qualifier to momentarily go top of Group D. Mashaba, who wants to be reinstated as coach, is fighting his dismissal at the Commission of Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) with his fate expected to be sealed when an arbitrator makes a ruling on his case set for March 7, 8 and 9.

Safa remain confident they have a watertight justification for sacking him, hence they have continued fearlessly in their pursuit for a successor who will take over in time to oversee this month’s international friendlies against Guinea-Bissau and Angola as preparation for the 2019 Nations Cup qualification opener against Nigeria in June and the rest of the World Cup qualifiers.

The Star also learnt that Broos will no longer be considered for the Bafana job because the Cameroon FA aren’t interested in letting him go nor are they keen to negotiate some kind of a release clause. Another surprising name believed to have been deliberated by the search committee is that of former Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard, but the 54-year-old Dutchman is unlikely to take up a coaching position after he announced in December that he was retiring. 

With the criteria for the Bafana post clear that whoever is appointed should have experience in helping African clubs or national teams qualify for a continental tournament or the World Cup, the position could be tailor-made for Queiroz, a former Bafana coach between 2000 and 2002, or Krol because of his history in the SA Premier League, around the continent and having won the 2013 CAF Confederation Cup with Tunisia’s CS Sfaxien.

Safa’s national executive committee will now decide who to pick based on the recommendations made by a search committed that included, but not limited to, former Bafana captains Lucas Radebe and Neil Tovey, all-time leading goal scorer Benni McCarthy as well as president Danny Jordaan along with Mumble.

@superjourno

The Star

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