Who is most qualified to get the Bafana Bafana coaching job? This has been the question on the lips pf most African football enthusiasts. It is always a great honour for football coaches around the world to coach a national team, the South African job has attracted a number of big coaches from around the world.
Following the sack of the former Bafana Bafana handler, Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba last December for gross misconduct, the recent release of the applicants for the plum job by the South Africa Football Association (SAFA) contained about 60 coaches across the globe who have registered their interest for the team coaching job.
Below is compiled list of 8 respected international football coaches currently jostling for the Bafana Bafana coaching Job. Enjoy!
Giovanni Trapatonni
- Giovanni Trapatonni. The Italian football legend, popularly known as “Trap” and considered as the most successful club coach in the history of Serie A, is noted to be one of the top contenders for the Bafana Bafana top job. Trapatonni who once managed the Italian and Republic of Ireland national football teams is one of the only four coaches to have won league titles in four different European countries
Roberto Mancini
- Roberto Mancini. 52 year old Italian and former Manchester City manager has openly indicated his interest in the Bafana Bafana top job. Mancini has in the past, managed popular European club sides such as Lazio, Florentina, Inter Milan and Galasaray. Though he has no experience in coaching a national football team but he has won a total of 25 trophies in his football career. 13 of the trophies he won as a player and 12 as a manager.
Avram Grant
- Avram Grant. The Israeli born Former Chelsea, West Ham and Portsmouth manager who mutually parted ways with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) after leading the Ghanaian squad to the 2017 AFCON, has been reportedly linked to the Bafana job prior to taking the Ghanaian football side job. Now that he is free, Grant stands a better chance, given his wealth of experience and close ties to the SAFA Boss.
Carlos Queiroz
- Carlos Queiroz. The 63 year old former goalkeeper and one time assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, is not left out in the race for the South Africa national team top job. The Mozambique born veteran, who once coached the Portuguese national team prior to coaching the South African side between 2000 and 2002, currently handles the Iran’s national football team. The former Real Madrid coach managed Iran to their fourth world cup appearance in 2014 and has also managed the Portuguese and the United Arab Emirates national side.
- Lothas Matthias. The ex- German international who led the German machines to victory at the FIFA World cup competition in 1990 is not left out in this game.
Matthias, who is fortunate to be the first and the only German footballer to have won the FIFA World Player of the Year, has previously coached Hungary and the Bulgarian national football teams.
Herve Renard
- Herve Renard. Renard happens to be one of the youngest coaches jostling for the South African job. The French national has nevertheless managed four African national teams and has won two AFCON titles with Zambian national team and the Ivorian national side, making him the first coach to win two AFCON with different countries. He currently manages the star studded Moroccan national team.
Bernd Shuster
- Bernd Shuster. Shuster is another German national vying to coach the SA national football team. The 57 year old, who has never managed a national football team before, has earned a success rate of 41.6 % Wins and 22.4% draw 5% losses in his coaching career, according to the Transfermrkt. He once managed FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Besiktas and Malaga.
Hugo Broos
- Hugo Broos. The Belgian born Cameroonian national team coach, who led the Indomitable Lions to victory at the 2017 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) fortnight ago, is also eyeing this plum job.
As revealed by the SAFA boss, Danny Jordaan, money will not be a problem in engaging the best man for the coaching job.
From the look of things however, the best man for this job could earn between $50, 000 and $100,000 depending on his negotiating power. But so far, the highest paid Bafana Bafana coach of all time is Carlos Alberto Pereira, who earned about R 1.8million per month.