Bafana coach to be named on Jordaan's return
THE SA Football Association will announce the new Bafana Bafana coach as early as next week, with Safa president Danny Jordaan keen to end speculation about who will take over from Gordon Igesund.
Times Media understands the appointment might have been announced already but for Jordaan's role as a special advisor to the World Cup in Brazil, which continues to occupy his attention.
At the same time Safa will also confirm who will be the country's technical director in the future, a post currently held by Fran Hilton- Smith, who has been in an acting capacity for the past 18 months after Serame Letsoaka was appointed as Bafana assistant coach.
"We cannot delay this process any longer, with the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on the horizon. Dr Jordaan is adamant we have to give this urgent attention," Safa communications head Dominic Chimhavi said. "As soon as he arrives back in the country we should have an announcement to make."
That would suggest that Safa has its man in the bag, but would also contradict a statement from the governing body on Monday that refuted, once again, claims from Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi that he had an offer from Safa.
"There is no iota of truth in this statement. Safa has not offered any coach the Bafana Bafana coaching job and we don't take kindly to such rumours," Jordaan was quoted as saying.
Another leading contender, Carlos Queiroz, is in Brazil watching the remainder of the World Cup and could potentially sign a contract there.
According to reports in Iran, he has an offer of $2-million (R21.4- million) per year plus bonuses on the table from that country to lead the team to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. This would be funded in part by the Iranian government.
That is a salary probably out of reach of Safa, but Queiroz, in admitting he had received an offer from Iran, said on Iran's 2014 TV show that money was not a motivating factor in deciding where his future lay.
He was previously Bafana coach from 2000 until 2002 before being dumped despite qualifying the country for the World Cup finals in South Korea and Japan that year. - Nick Said
