JOHANNESBURG - The South African Football Association has sacked Bafana Bafana head coach Molefi Ntseki who failed to guide the senior national team to the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon.
This announcement was made by the association’s chief executive officer Tebogo Motlanthe at Safa house on Wednesday. Ntseki leaves the hot seat after a year and a half at the helm after taking over from from predecessor Stuart Baxter.
Ntseki was not first choice for the Bafana job, given that Safa missed out on their targets who were either unavailable or were pricey. Ntseki, though, appeared to have shut up his detractors after winning three games, drawing two and losing one in the first five qualifiers.
But the wheels came off in the final qualifier after losing away to Sudan on Sunday - in a game in which they needed a draw in order to qualify. That loss ensured that they finished third in Group C with nine points, two behind second placed Sudan and three behind leaders Ghana.
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This is the fourth continental showpiece that the South Africans have missed out on in the last 11 years – having also failed to qualify in 2010, 2012 and 2017. The incoming Bafana coach has his job cut out for him as he has to ensure the national team qualify for the 2022 Fifa World Cup.
The last time Bafana qualified for the World Cup was in 2010 as hosts. They missed out on the last two editions of the global showpiece in Russia and Brazil respectively. They are in Group G in the qualifiers, alongside Ghana, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia.
@MihlaliBaleka
IOL Sport