Safa stands firm on keeping Eymael away from SA football

Controversial Belgian coach Luc Eymael was rumoured to be making a return to the local league but it seems the South African Football Association (Safa) hasn’t changed their position on the 61-year-old coaching in any PSL team.

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Eymael has found himself in hot water a handful of times in the past for racially charged rants targeting club fans and some of his colleagues in the leagues he has had the privilege of working in.

The former Polokwane City and Free State Stars coach was chased out of Tanzanian club Young Africans after he described the club’s fans as ‘dogs and monkeys’ but he later apologized on social media.

Last December,  Chippa United announced they have appointed the coach but later withdrew the appointment after Safa and other coaches in the PSL disapproved of the coastal club’s decision.

The latest reports coming out of South Africa claim Eymael is on his way back to South Africa to coach one of the Dstv Premiership side following Safa’s decision to pardon the coach. The reports claimed the coach’s name has been cleared and he is again free to coach a South African side that wishes to sign him.

With Safa officials focus on the Caf congress Phakaaathi’s attempts to reach the football body were unsuccessful.

Safa CEO Tebogo Motlanthe dismissed the reports claiming Eymael’s name was cleared stating that the Belgian coach is still not allowed to coach in the country and declaring the reports claiming the coach’s name was cleared are untrue.

“(I am) in a CAF Congress.  (The matter of Luc Eymael being cleared) that is not true,” read a text message from the Safa CEO.

Another Safa official who is also at the Caf Congress in Morocco dismissed the reports through a text message.

“There is no truth in that. It’s a malicious story if they claim that, we haven’t changed our position (on Eymael),” said Safa’s communications director Dominic Chimhavi.

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