The vacant Bafana Bafana coaching job is heating up with South Africa Football Association on the brink of picking a coach to replace sacked Shakes Masahaba.
This trajectory reels on the heels of a Johannesburg tribunal court’s dismissal of Masahaba’s application to stop the process of appointing a new coach, or get SAFA to pay him compensation for what he calls an “illegal dismissal” from the Bafana Bafana managerial post.
The former South African coach was axed after conclusions of a disciplinary hearing found him guilty of gross misconduct, insubordination, and breaching SAFA’s code of ethics in December last year.
Masaba in a post-match interview after South Africa’s 2-1 over Senegal went on a speculative and angry rant accusing SAFA and the media of not supporting him. After recordings of his outburst made rounds on SABC TV, he was suspended the very next morning pending a five-day hearing that found him guilty.
But an exasperated Mashaba responded by taking the legal route and filed an appeal with the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration to force SAFA to pause on naming a new coach, in hopes of getting reinstated in no time.
However, a verdict was reached with the Mashaba’s application thrown out by the Labor Court allowing SAFA to go ahead with its plans for securing the services of a new manager.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“We have always maintained that we did everything by the book when Mashaba was found guilty on three charges by our internal disciplinary hearing,”[/perfectpullquote]
said SAFA spokesman Dominic Chimhavi.
“That process was transparent‚ independent and fair on both sides.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“In fact‚ Mashaba was represented by his lawyers and before the process got under way‚ had requested two postponements because they wanted certain documents from the Association which we provided.”[/perfectpullquote]
With the recruitment process underway, SAFA will hope to have a replacement before next month’s friendlies with thagainstGuinea-Bissau on 25th March.
The initial figure of sixty applicants is now trimmed to five and the shortlisted names include; former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini, three-time Africa Cup of Nations winning coach Hassan Shehata and Cameroon coach Hugo Broos – who has distanced himself from the post.
SAFA said it hopes to appoint a new coach before two friendlies next month, the first of which – against Guinea-Bissau – takes place on 25 March.
However, Belgium’s Broos who has clarified that he will finish his contract with Cameroon may be a favored contender, while Morocco coach Herve Renard – who has won two Nations Cup titles – and Carlos Quieroz, who coached South Africa between 2000 and ’02 – are also potential candidates.
With Viktor Akatwijuka
Featured photo: Getty Images
