Gordon
Igesund has been appointed as the new Head Coach of the South African Men’s
Senior National Team (Bafana Bafana).
The
announcement was made on Saturday, 30 June 2012 at SAFA House following a
meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC).
The
two coaches who were asked to present their credentials for the position –
Steve Komphela and Gordon Igesund – were each given a chance to make a
presentation to the NEC.
The
new Head Coach has been offered a two-year contract with a mandate to reach at
least the semi-final in the 2013 AFCON tournament which South Africa will host,
as well as qualifying the country for the 2014 FIFA World Cup tournament in
Brazil.
“The
two coaches each made a presentation to the NEC which also received a report
from the SAFA Technical Committee. It is from this process that the decision
was arrived at,” said SAFA President Kirsten Nematandani.
“It
was not an easy decision as both coaches are well-equipped to take Bafana
Bafana forward. At the end of the day, it was a unanimous decision and we think
the final verdict was in the best interest of the nation.”
The
SAFA President also appealed to members of the public and media to give the new
Head Coach all the support and not judge him on upcoming friendly matches
against Brazil and Poland (both away).
“The bigger picture is the 2013 AFCON tournament and qualifying us for Brazil 2014 World Cup,” added Nematandani.
