Path cleared for SAFA to appoint new Bafana coach
After a lengthy delay due to an ongoing labour dispute between SAFA and former Bafana Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba, the country's national football governing body now appears to have cleared the way to engage a new national coach.
Mashaba instituted court proceedings against his former employers after being dismissed for insubordination and violating SAFA's communications policy.
The application by Mashaba, which sought to prevent SAFA from going ahead with appointing a replacement, was subsequently dismissed by the Labour Court.
The former Bafana Bafana mentor lost his job after publicly slamming the SAFA hierarchy at a media conference after the FIFA World Cup qualifier against Senegal late last year.
SAFA CEO Dennis Mumble has confirmed that a shortlist has been narrowed down to five possible candidates and expects the list to be revealed by next week.
Speculation has mounted of late and among the candidates who have popped into the equation are the likes of Hugo Broos‚, Frenchman Herve Renard, former Bafana mentor Carlos Queiroz and even Stuart Baxter, while there was even what seemed to be a ludicrous suggestion that ex-England manager Roy Hodgson was also under consideration.
With the rumour mill turning at lightning speed and including mostly overseas candidates, Mumble said that it should not be assumed that they had not looked at locally-based options.
The usual list of candidates who have achieved success at club level has also done the rounds, but all are tied up with clubs at present.
Bafana Bafana's next official engagement is a World Cup 2018 qualifier against Cape Verde on 28 August.
South Africa are in a tough qualifying group which also features Burkina Faso and Senegal.