South
African Football Association (SAFA) has short listed 5 local coaches for the
Bafana Bafana head coach. This is how I analyse them;
1. Gordon Igesund – He is the 20011/2012
Premier Soccer League (PSL) coach of the Year and 4 times PSL champions with 4
different teams namely Manning Rangers (1996/97), Orlando Pirates (2000/01),
Santos ( 2001/2002) and Mamelodi Sundowns ( 2006/2007). Igesund has recently
turned average and mediocre Moroka Swallows into a championship team. He lost
the PSL 2011/2012 in a painful way that even made him shed tears in the last
game of the season.
He
has an ability to bring the best out of the average players and even the
rejected players from other teams. He won the leagues with plain teams such as
Santos and Manning Rangers without any quality or big name players. He always
play father-figure role to his players. He is a good motivator to players when
chips are down. He has an ability to turn mediocre player into quality player.
He can work with both youngsters and experience players easily. The success is
always imminent under Igesund guidance.
2. Steve Komphela – He is well endowed
with soccer tactics and techniques acumen. He is a good coach but lacks an
experience to coach at the highest level. He hasn't won any championship as a
coach in the PSL. He is currently undisputed best coach in the PSL that
implement modern soccer tactics. Zonal making, diagonal runs with good
transitional movement coupled with pounching from the wings are attributes of
his coaching philosophy. He is a star in making in the coaching fraternity. He
still a rough diamond that needs serious polishing for tremendously shining.
3. Gavin Hunt – He is the 3 times PSL
champion with SuperSport United (2007/08, 2008/09, 2009/2010). He is an
emotional but one of the best local coaches but his style of play is not
suitable for Bafana Bafana coaching role. His coaching philosophy is based on
airborne (high) balls than free flowing capert football. He won PSL
Championships but his style of play was not appetizing. He is not a coach of
entertaining football but a coach who can bring positive results through dirty
and boring football system.
4. Neil Tovey – "Mokoko"
is former captain of South Africa National team and in 1996 he became the first
Mzansi player to raise the AFCON cup trophy. He guided Sundowns to 1996 PSL
championship alongside his co-coach Miguel Gamondi. He is not a fully fledged
coach in terms of tactics and technique. He is not yet at the level of coaching
a national team. He is still an infant in the Mzansi coaching industry.
5. Shakes Mashaba – South Africa most
successful and decorated coach of Bafana Bafana. Everything he touches turned
to be gold. He is the only coach who can work easily with youngsters. He
nurtured many youngsters in the under 23 side including Aaron Mokoena, Quinton
Fortune, Benni McCarthy and Nkhiphitheni Matombo. He always play father figure
role to his players but he is no longer that much active in coaching. His
tactics might be too obsolete for the national team but his coaching wisdom is
needed to turn the table around for Bafana.
My Verdict: Coach – Gordon Igesund
1st Assistant coach – Steve Komphela
2nd Assistant coach – Neil Tovey
Technical Director (Advisor) – Shakes Mashaba
Gavin Hunt will never settle for Bafana Bafana assistant coach role. He is good
enough to be Bafana coach but Igesund stands the head and shoulder above
him.
By Owen Mundalamo
Founder: Football
Food for Thought (FFT)
