Jordaan – No World Cup mandate for new Bafana coach

South African Football Association president Danny Jordaan has admitted it will not be “realistic” to demand that the new Bafana Bafana head coach qualifies the team for the 2022 Fifa World Cup finals in Qatar.

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The Safa president also confirmed to Phakaaathi on Tuesday that the new man to lead the senior men’s national team will be named on Saturday, after the Safa technical committee has presented its preferred candidates to Safa’s National Executive Committee.

Jordaan would not be moved on who the new man will be, claiming that he does not know. Phakaaathi has been told that Carlos Queiroz was approached about taking over for a second spell in charge.

“Yes, we don’t have time, an announcement must be made once the NEC decides,” Jordaan told Phakaaathi on Tuesday.

South Africa’s qualifying campaign for Qatar 2022 begins in June with games against Zimbabwe and Ghana.

“The CEO must then go to the coach and negotiate and sign the contract.”

Safa CEO Tebogo Mothlante did suggest in a press conference to announce the sacking of Molefi Ntseki, that the new Bafana coach would be expected to take the team to Qatar 2022, which seems excessive given Bafana’s current ranking in the continental game. Jordaan, however, took a more lenient view.

“We want success but we also want to be building for the next generation. Whoever is coach must balance these two, but long term we want the team to consistently qualify for major competitions. You can’t start with a mandate, before the NEC has appointed a coach. When you start to talk about mandates for a competition that starts in June, maybe it is not realistic.

“But long term, before the end of next year, we need a Bafana team that consistently produces positive results.”

Bafana have failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon early next year, but won’t have long to wait for another Afcon qualifying campaign, with the next finals set for the Ivory Coast in 2023.

While he would not be moved on Queiroz’ possible appointment, Jordaan did suggest that the salary would not be a problem for Safa.

“These big coaches, they have money, money is not their first priority, their first priority is ‘can I achieve success?’ and it may surprise you but most big coaches say that South Africa has the players (to succeed.”