Pitso Mosimane insists on local coach for Bafana job: ‘Give Gav a chance!’

by Staff Reporter

Tuesday Aug 06, 2019. 18:00

By Mark Gleeson

Pitso Mosimane suggests South Africa should take a leaf out of the book of both Africa Cup of Nations winners Algeria and runners-up Senegal, and chose local coaches to head up the national team.

The Mamelodi Sundowns coach says colleague Gavin Hunt of Bidvest Wits should be offered an opportunity to lead Bafana Bafana as they search for a replacement to take over from Stuart Baxter, who quit last week.

“Gavin has been asking for a chance and I think we should also give him a chance. Let’s give Gav a chance,” said Mosimane.

Like Mosimane, Hunt is a four-time Premier Soccer League title winner.

The Sundowns boss also mentioned two more local coaches – his former assistant Steve Komphela at Lamontville Golden Arrows and Cape Town City’s Benni McCarthy.

“Benni has a good name. Like (Aliou) Cisse of Senegal and the coach of Algeria (Djamel Belmadi), he’s played football in Europe and so he’s a big name in the country. So probably we should follow that route,” continued Mosimane.

“I don’t know if he wants it,” Mosimane said of McCarthy’s intention. “His club owner John Comitis said he will release him if he wants t. With Benni, put the right people around him to help him. He’s got the pedigree for players to respect. He’s done it, his record is there. I like that. Support him and South Africans must be patient.

“I have already given my thoughts before on which coaches should have the job. I‘m not doing so now just because Stuart is gone. There are locals who can do it.”

Mosimane said appointing a new coach should be a matter of urgency.

“We have to move on and find another coach. It won’t be easy to find a coach now. If I have to help find a coach I will because in a few months we start to play again for the World Cup,” added the Sundowns coach.

“We must have a team for the World Cup, we have to qualify for World Cup. We have done well in terms of results at the Cup of Nations and it showed we have a chance to be among the top five in Africa. If we can beat Egypt and Nigeria, we have potential.

“But there are challenges and Stuart gave the reasons why he is leaving. It’s a difficult one. Everyone has their own challenges when they are there.”

Mosimane was non-committal on whether he might also be in the frame, having being fired by the South African Football Association in 2012.

“I have a contract that I have to honour. I stay with my contracts,” said Mosimane. “The only one I broke was because SuperSport United said to me I had to go the World Cup. I cried when I left them. I was seven years there and I loved the club.

“But I also had an unbelievable experience with the national team and it has helped me to be where I am now and I must be thankful to SAFA for that, to be honest.

“I had time to educate myself because there was no game every week. It was a brilliant job.”