INTO THE UNKNOWN
New Bafana coach
● At about 3pm yesterday at Safa House, SA Football Association (Safa) acting CEO Russell Paul emerged from the boardroom with a shock announcement to the media in the canteen that Bafana Bafana has a new coach — Molefi Ntseki.
Only four journalists were present. The national executive committee (NEC) meeting at the association’s headquarters had at most been expected to produce a short list as Safa sought an appropriate replacement for the job vacated by Stuart Baxter on August 2.
Had there been an inkling that a new coach would be announced there would have been an army of journalists present.
“The NEC, meeting today, was presented by the Safa technical committee with a name for consideration as the head coach to take Bafana Bafana forward for the period to end after the World Cup of 2022,” Paul said.
“The NEC unanimously endorsed the name. And the name that we can give you today is Mr Molefi Ntseki.”
Later Paul gave the rationale for the appointment of a bright 50-year-old coach, but one whose lack of top-flight head coaching experience and profile will be questioned.
“Part of the criteria was somebody who understands SA football and the path that we want to go,” Paul said.
“We have had major qualification successes of our Under-17, Under-20 and Under-23 teams and a factor that counts in his favour is that he has an opportunity [to transfer such success to the senior team], and he knows how to harness that.”
Ntseki was named caretaker-coach after Baxter’s departure. The assistant’s head coaching CV seemed to make him a rank outsider for the full-time job.
But announcing his squad for the friendly against Zambia in Lusaka this Saturday a week ago, Ntseki had confidently proclaimed his availability. He impressed with his forthright views on the direction he would take the national team in.
Now, out of nowhere, the Bafana background man, whose patent knowledge of the local game and of SA players was perhaps under utilised by Baxter, finds himself thrust forward to qualify SA for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and 2022 Qatar World Cup.
His head-coaching experience is at national Under-17 level. There is a school of thought that this is not necessarily a limitation. Some of the best coaches come through the youth ranks.
Ntseki guided the under-17s to runnersup at the 2015 African Under-17 Championship. The team exited in the group stage of that year’s Fifa under-17 World Cup, losing 21 to Costa Rica, drawing 1-1 with North Korea, and losing 2-0 to Russia.
Before that Ntseki was influential in Bloemfontein Celtic’s youth system as their assistant coach, and unearthed SuperSport United starlets Teboho Mokoena and Sipho Mbule.
He was assistant coach in 2009 for Serame Letsoaka’s team that reached the last 16 of the Fifa Under-20 World Cup, many of whom now play for Bafana.
His knowledge of especially young players and understanding of SA players can be huge factors in his favour.
The NEC unanimously endorsed the name Russell Paul
Safa acting CEO