Late DStv Premiership finish provides Bafana stumbling block

The South African Football Association are in talks with the Premier Soccer League over when they can play international friendlies next month, as the final day of the DStv Premiership season has been moved to coincide with June’s Fifa international dates.

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New Bafana coach Hugo Broos is hoping to play friendlies as a warm up for the 2022 Fifa World Cup finals in Qatar, with the first qualifiers, initially set for June, moved to September by the Confederation of African Football.

“I think there will be games, we just have to work on the dates. Remember that … the PSL asked to finish on June 5^th, which is when the Fifa dates are,” Safa CEO Tebogo Motlanthe told Phakaaathi on Wednesday.

The international dates on the Fifa calendar are set from May 31-June 15, which would still give Safa time to organise matches after the Premiership season is finished, however.

The PSL announced on May 8 that they would have to move the final matchday of the DStv Premiership, largely because of the success of Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns in reaching the quarterfinals of their respective Caf competitions.

Broos has already said that he will not be on the touchline for the June internationals, because he has to return to Belgium to get his second Covid-19 vaccine. His Belgian assistant, Cedomir Janevski, and a yet-to-be-named South African assistant are set to take charge of the matches in his absence.

Motlanthe said that Safa expected to announce the local assistant coach next week, but confirmed that it will not be former Bafana head coach Molefi Ntseki.

Broos had already announced Ntseki as his assistant coach on SAFM on Friday, only for Safa to issue a swift denial.

“What happened there is simple,” added Motlanthe.

“He had discussions, his agent has said it, but it was a question of following internal procedures.”

The Safa CEO added that Broos was still in discussions with several candidates about who he would prefer to be his local assistant.