Bafana job candidates shortlisted

Former coaches Baxter, Queiroz among five

A final list of five candidates to be considered for the vacant Bafana Bafana job has been made and will be considered this week as the SA Football Association (Safa) seeks to have the issue of the new coach settled sooner rather than later.

Times Media Digital has learnt that the five are 2017 African Nations Cup-winning coach Hugo Broos‚ Frenchman Herve Renard (Nations Cup winner with Zambia in 2012 and Ivory Coast in 2015)‚ former Bafana bosses Carlos Queiroz and Stuart Baxter‚ and ex-England manager Roy Hodgson.

This‚ however‚ has not been confirmed officially as Safa seeks to keep the deliberations secret.

Broos is on the list despite a denial from the Cameroon Football Federation.

“No contact has been made so far between Broos and the South Africa FA‚” a Cameroon federation statement read.

“The coach received several proposals after the Nations Cup but none has yet received a favourable outcome.

“Broos is still under contract with Cameroon and will see out the term of said contract.”

The 64-year-old‚ who won the Nations Cup in what is his first international coaching role‚ took charge of the Indomitable Lions 12 months ago.

“There was only contact with an agent‚ who said the South African team’s coaching post was free and indirectly asked if . . . he could introduce me‚” Broos said at the weekend.

“I told him to go ahead and that is how it ended. I do not intend to leave Cameroon.”

The shortlist was compiled by the panel set up by Safa which included former Bafana captains Benni McCarthy‚ Lucas Radebe and Neil Tovey.

But none of the panelists had a chance to talk to the prospective candidates‚ instead going through the applications and CVs and making their recommendations.

The list of candidates will now go to the Safa executive committee, which is to meet this week to make a final selection. It is expected negotiations over a contract and salary will be swift and there is the hope that the new coach could be announced as early as Friday.

That would leave him with just weeks to get ready for two friendlies at the end of next month, against Angola and Guinea Bissau.

His first competitive outing would be in June when Bafana go to Nigeria at the start of the 2019 Nations Cup qualifiers.

From August to November, there are the final four World Cup qualifying ties against Cape Verde Islands (away and home)‚ Burkina Faso (home) and Senegal (away).

There are also assignments in the Cosafa Castle Cup in July‚ and the Chan 2018 qualifiers, also in July.