New Bafana Bafana Coach Ntseki to open shop against Zambia

Veteran coach Molefi Ntseki has been confirmed as the new coach of Bafana Bafana. National Executive Committee (NEC) of South Africa Football Association (SAFA) made the confirmation on Saturday.

Ntseki who has been assistant coach to virtually all the national coaches that handled Bafana Bafana thus replaces Stuart Baxter who dumped the job after leading the team to the last eight before losing 2-1 to Super Eagles at the Cairo International Stadium.

Bafana announced the news on their official Twitter account saying that Ntseki was “unanimously endorsed by the entire SAFA NEC”

Ntseki was assistant coach at Bloemfontein Celtic from 2010-2012 before joining SAFA as under-17 head coach.

He was also assistant to former coaches Shakes Mashaba, Owen da Gama and recently Baxter.

Ntseki is banking on his wealth of experience garnered over the years under different coaches to deliver.

“All these tenures have prepared me enough to stand on my own. We went as far as the quarter-finals in Egypt and I was very much part of the decision making processes and with any coach I have worked with,” Ntseki said on the SAFA website.

Ntseki will finally have the opportunity to call the shots as the man in charge when he takes on Chipolopolo of Zambia in an international friendly on September 7.

If there is one headache Ntseki will have to contend with, it is the must win attitude of the South African fans.

He however advised the fans to learn to take both the good and the bad which are all part of the game.

“South African fans love success hence their love, hate relationship with coaches. You win today, you are their number one fan, you lose the following day, and they call for your head.

This I think is derived from their passion for the sport, their teams and Bafana Bafana in particular. However, it is my take that fans must learn to take the good and the bad in the same breath”, he told SAFA.net