AFTER SHAKES MASABA was fired as national team coach, the South African Football Association (SAFA) have revealed that they received over 60 applications for the vacant post.
Two of the candidates are former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini and ex-Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni, according to the association.
The 77-year-old Italian, one of just four coaches to win league titles in four different countries, managed the Irish team between 2008 and 2013.
Trap enjoyed some success with the Boys in Green, narrowly missing out on a 2010 World Cup spot amid a controversial playoff loss to France and guiding Ireland to their first European Championships qualification since 1988.
The Italian stepped down amid the team’s unsuccessful qualification for the 2014 World Cup, and he has been out of work since.
Trapattoni also previously coached AC Milan, Juventus, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich and the Italian national team.
Meanwhile, Mancini left his last club, Inter Milan, by mutual agreement earlier this season. He had won Serie A with Inter in his previous stint, and also went on to win the Premier League with Man City thereafter.
“More than sixty applications have been received and some of the candidates are Roberto Mancini, Giovanni Trapattoni, Hassan Shehata, Hugo Broos, Muhsin Ertugral, Samson Siasia, Lothar Matthäus, Bernd Schuster, while some are still contracted to their teams and cannot be mentioned,” a spokesperson for the SAFA stated.
Two other names that stand out are Germany’s 1990 Fifa World Cup-winning captain Matthäus, and former Real Madrid coach Schuster.
Matthäus has coached national teams twice in the past, taking charge of Hungary between 2004 and 2006, and Bulgaria between 2010 and 2011.
President of the association, Dr Danny Jordaan wants to select the right coach as soon possible.
“We want to have the process expedited as Bafana Bafana have a bumper 2017 season in which they need to compete and qualify on three fronts — namely Chan, Afcon and the Fifa World Cup in Russia 2018.”
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I just love seeing Brits knocked out
@Succulent Goujons: that’s all well and good, but she’s an Aussie ;) lol