Bafana coach suspended

Bafana Bafana will play their international friendly game against our neighboring country of Mozambique without the head-coach, Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba.
The match will take place at the 40 000-seater Estadio Nacional do Zimpeto in Maputo on Tuesday.

The South African Football Association released a press statement citing that Mashaba has been suspended after a regrettable incident that took place at Peter Mokaba on Saturday after Bafana Bafana beat Senegal 2-1 in a 2018 World Cup qualifier encounter.

A statement from SAFA read: Bafana Bafana Head Coach Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba will not join the team on their trip to Mozambique as the Association has deemed it necessary to employ disciplinary measures after a regrettable incident at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday, 12 November 2016.

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Assistant coach, Owen da Gama will take charge of the team in the above-mentioned international friendly match against Mozambique on Tuesday, 15 November 2016 in Maputo.
As is our custom in matters such as these, the Association will not be making any further comments on this matter out of respect for the dignity of the Head Coach and the Association and the legally privileged nature of such proceedings.

It has been reported in some media houses that Mashaba was suspended after he disrespected his boss, Safa president Danny Jordaan, in the full glare of the television cameras in Polokwane on Saturday.

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Mashaba told Supersport 204 TV channel that the Safa president had not supported him when he needed support the most during the most trying times over the past few months. “What does this win (against Senegal) mean to me? It’s a second lease of life. I was dead already,” the coach mused afterwards in the post-match press conference.
In September this year, Jordaan criticised Mashaba at Mbombela Stadium when Bafana were held to a one-all draw by Mauritania in a dead rubber African Cup of Nations encounter.

“This must be the end of the journey, not the beginning because this cannot lead us into the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign where we will meet the giants of the African continent,” Jordaan said in a post-match interview after the Mbombela game.
“What we saw tonight was disappointing. We had a goal given to us through a penalty. We had numerous opportunities, but we cannot talk about the same things,” added Jordaan.