Editorial: Get Bafana back on winning track

Sadly, South Africans will be sitting on the outside looking in when the African Cup of Nations kicks off in Gabon on Saturday.

It is a shame that such a passionate nation has been left on the sidelines, but they have nobody else to blame but themselves. South Africa should be a powerhouse on the continent and ranked among the top three teams at all times, but they only realised their true potential in 1996 when Neil Tovey’s team won the tournament.

Now, instead of making preparations for the showpiece event, South African soccer bosses are trying to find a replacement for fired coach Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba.

South Africa’s bungling and clumsy soccer hierarchy have been guilty of a catalogue of errors over the years and Bafana’s failure to make the cut for Gabon was not really a big surprise.

A cautious Safa, wary of the bad vibes surrounding the national team, says it will take its time in finding a replacement for the combustible Mashaba.

The irony of all this is that Mashaba did not get fired for his inability to gain qualification for Gabon, but for a tirade aimed at Safa president Danny Jordaan.

To add insult to injury, Mashaba’s dismissal was triggered after a Bafana victory over Senegal in a 2018 World Cup qualifier in November last year.

What should have been a high point in Mashaba’s indifferent coaching career descended into a farce and he paid the price for wagging his finger at senior Safa officials after the win. Those high-ranking suits included Jordaan, Dennis Mumble, national executive committee members and other senior officials.

He was subsequently found guilty of three charges of gross misconduct and insubordination.

With Mashaba exiting the scene, the race has now started to appoint his successor.

Mumble said Safa would not be hurried in its search for the new man because of lessons learnt in the past.

Word has it that former Orlando Pirates Dutch coach Ruud Krol is one of many CVs piling up at Safa House for the vacant position. Whether the new man is local or foreign will mean little to South African fans who are desperate to see their team get back on the winning track.