Who will inherit the porcelain throne?
In Game of Thrones the Iron throne represents power, prestige, authority. In life, the porcelain throne is where bodily secretions are disposed of. Porcelain is also fragile, with no real defenses or anything that resembles an offence. Like Bafana.
On Saturday, July 26 a new South African national team football coach will be named by SAFA. The question is who will it be?
Here is a quick look at the major candidates in line to replace Gordon Igesund as Bafana Bafana coach.
Carlos Queiroz
The last man to guide Bafana Bafana to a successful World Cup qualification campaign (2002), Carlos Queiroz (61) is reportedly on the verge of agreeing a contract extension with Iran. However, until that deal is locked in he could yet change his mind and head to South Africa for a second spell in charge of Bafana.
The Portuguese coach has managed Portugal, UAE, South Africa and Iran national sides.
Stephen Keshi
Perhaps the most creditable candidate, Stephen Keshi would have impressed the SAFA bigwigs last year when he guided Nigeria to 2013 AFCON glory on South African soil. Aside from that continental title, the 52-year-old also secured Togo their first ever qualification for the World Cup in 2006 and took the Super Eagles to the last 16 of the recently-concluded 2014 World Cup in Brazil. On paper he looks incredibly promising, but prising him away from Nigeria will be no easy task.
Shakes Mashaba
The current South African U-20 and U-23 national coach, Shakes Mashaba has stated publicly that he is keen on becoming Bafana Bafana coach again, having last been in charge of the team just before the 2004 AFCON. The 63-year-old has the pedigree, experience and respect of the players, but is he too valuable and doing too good a job at the youth level to be ‘bumped up’ to the big job?
Frank Rijkaard
A UEFA Champions League winner as both a player and coach (with Barcelona in 2006), Frank Rijkaard is still something of an outsider for the Bafana Bafana role, given that his managerial spells with the national teams of the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia were not particularly impressive. If appointed, the 51-year-old Dutchman would represent something of a gamble from SAFA.
