SPORTS

8 Top Contenders For Bafana Bafana Coaching Job – Seun Adeogun

Published

8 years ago

February 20, 2017

Who is most qualified to get the Bafana Bafana coaching job? This has been the question on the lips pf most African football enthusiasts. It is always a great honour for football coaches around the world to coach a national team, the South African job has attracted a number of big coaches from around the world.

Following the sack of the former Bafana Bafana handler, Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba last December for gross misconduct, the recent release of the applicants for the plum job by the South Africa Football Association (SAFA) contained about 60 coaches across the globe who have registered their interest for the team coaching job.

Below is compiled list of 8 respected international football coaches currently jostling for the Bafana Bafana coaching Job. Enjoy!

Giovanni Trapatonni

Giovanni Trapatonni. The Italian football legend, popularly known as “Trap” and considered as the most successful club coach in the history of Serie A, is noted to be one of the top contenders for the Bafana Bafana top job. Trapatonni who once managed the Italian and Republic of Ireland national football teams is one of the only four coaches to have won league titles in four different European countries

Roberto Mancini

Roberto Mancini. 52 year old Italian and former Manchester City manager has openly indicated his interest in the Bafana Bafana top job. Mancini has in the past, managed popular European club sides such as Lazio, Florentina, Inter Milan and Galasaray. Though he has no experience in coaching a national football team but he has won a total of 25 trophies in his football career. 13 of the trophies he won as a player and 12 as a manager.

Avram Grant

Avram Grant. The Israeli born Former Chelsea, West Ham and Portsmouth manager who mutually parted ways with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) after leading the Ghanaian squad to the 2017 AFCON, has been reportedly linked to the Bafana job prior to taking the Ghanaian football side job. Now that he is free, Grant stands a better chance, given his wealth of experience and close ties to the SAFA Boss.

Carlos Queiroz

Carlos Queiroz. The 63 year old former goalkeeper and one time assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, is not left out in the race for the South Africa national team top job. The Mozambique born veteran, who once coached the Portuguese national team prior to coaching the South African side between 2000 and 2002, currently handles the Iran’s national football team. The former Real Madrid coach managed Iran to their fourth world cup appearance in 2014 and has also managed the Portuguese and the United Arab Emirates national side.

Lothas Matthias. The ex- German international who led the German machines to victory at the FIFA World cup competition in 1990 is not left out in this game.

Matthias, who is fortunate to be the first and the only German footballer to have won the FIFA World Player of the Year, has previously coached Hungary and the Bulgarian national football teams.

Herve Renard

Herve Renard. Renard happens to be one of the youngest coaches jostling for the South African job. The French national has nevertheless managed four African national teams and has won two AFCON titles with Zambian national team and the Ivorian national side, making him the first coach to win two AFCON with different countries. He currently manages the star studded Moroccan national team.

Bernd Shuster

Bernd Shuster. Shuster is another German national vying to coach the SA national football team. The 57 year old, who has never managed a national football team before, has earned a success rate of 41.6 % Wins and 22.4% draw 5% losses in his coaching career, according to the Transfermrkt. He once managed FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Besiktas and Malaga.

Hugo Broos

Hugo Broos. The Belgian born Cameroonian national team coach, who led the Indomitable Lions to victory at the 2017 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) fortnight ago, is also eyeing this plum job.

As revealed by the SAFA boss, Danny Jordaan, money will not be a problem in engaging the best man for the coaching job.

From the look of things however, the best man for this job could earn between $50, 000 and $100,000 depending on his negotiating power. But so far, the highest paid Bafana Bafana coach of all time is Carlos Alberto Pereira, who earned about R 1.8million per month.

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SPORTS

Mbappe Takes Reins For Real Madrid In Liverpool Clash

Published

11 hours ago

November 26, 2024

Reporter

Mbappe Takes Reins for Real Madrid in Liverpool Clash | fab.ng

With Vinicius Junior injured, Kylian Mbappe will lead Real Madrid’s attack against Liverpool. The French captain, who recently scored his first goal in five matches against Leganes, will play his preferred left-wing position.

Real Madrid, currently struggling in the Champions League, will rely on Mbappe to provide the attacking spark, especially with Vinicius out for over three weeks.

Liverpool currently leads their group, while Real Madrid sits in 18th place after disappointing results against Lille and AC Milan.

Although Mbappe has scored seven goals in La Liga, his performances haven’t met the expectations of a player of his calibre. Despite this, he believes he is gradually settling into his role at Real Madrid.

“I think I put in a good performance, I’m starting to get up to speed with my team-mates,” Mbappe told Real Madrid TV after their victory over Leganes, which moved Real Madrid into second place in La Liga.

“I can play in every position and I’m ready to help the team and give my all…

“I play on the right, on the left, in the middle and with two up top. It doesn’t matter to me. I want to help the team and score goals.”

📋✅ Our squad for the match!
🆚 @LFC #UCL pic.twitter.com/7icPnnJYEF

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) November 25, 2024

Tactical Adjustment

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti had initially resisted moving Kylian Mbappé to the left wing. He preferred to keep Vinícius Jr. in that position since it suited his playing style better. Vinícius thrives on the flank and is less effective when deployed through the middle.

However, after Mbappé struggled to score—managing just one goal in seven matches as a central striker—Ancelotti decided to make a tactical change ahead of the Leganés game.

He swapped their positions, allowing Mbappé to operate from the left while Vinícius played centrally. Despite the switch’s impact, Ancelotti explained that the decision stemmed from fitness concerns rather than strategic preference.

“Playing on the outside is more tiring than through the middle, Vinicius returned from international duty on Thursday and Mbappe was fresher than Vinicius,” said Ancelotti.

“He scored a goal with a fantastic assist from Vini Junior – they’re both improving bit by bit.”

Strategic Challenges Ahead for Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti faces crucial tactical decisions for Real Madrid’s upcoming trip to Merseyside against the Premier League leaders. With injuries depleting his squad, he must rethink his formation to maximise impact.

One option involves deploying Kylian Mbappé as part of a two-man strike force, potentially alongside Jude Bellingham. Although Bellingham played deeper this season, he was Madrid’s key attacking force last year.

🏃💨 #LeganésRealMadrid pic.twitter.com/xXSZgQuYxp

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) November 24, 2024

He filled the void left by Karim Benzema’s departure. Ancelotti shifted Bellingham back to midfield after Mbappé’s arrival to create balance.

However, injuries to key players like Vinícius Jr., Rodrygo, and Lucas Vázquez, coupled with long-term absences of Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, and Éder Militão, have left Madrid thin on options.

Mbappé is already under pressure. This is due to off-field issues, including a rape investigation in Sweden (which he called “fake news”) and a financial dispute with former club PSG.

He has faced scrutiny over his form. Ancelotti defended him, criticising media speculation about the striker’s mental health as “ugly” and expressing confidence in Mbappé’s resurgence.

Mbappé’s recent goal against Leganés eased some pressure, but Madrid urgently needs him to replicate that performance against Liverpool to stay competitive.

Check out more sports news here.

SPORTS

Leicester Players Seen Partying In Denmark Just Hours After Chelsea Defeat

Published

2 days ago

November 25, 2024

Reporter

Leicester players seen partying hours after Chelsea defeat | fab.ng

People spotted Leicester City players partying in Copenhagen. This happened just hours after Chelsea defeated them. The night out came only a day before the club announced the sacking of their manager, Steve Cooper, aged 44.

On Saturday, the Foxes suffered a Premier League defeat against their former boss Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea side. Despite the disappointing result, many players seemed unaffected and boarded a flight to Copenhagen shortly after the match.

According to reports from the Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet, the group included Jannik Vestergaard, Victor Kristiansen, Harry Winks, and Conor Coady.

We have parted company with Steve Cooper, who leaves his position as First Team Manager with immediate effect.

— Leicester City (@LCFC) November 24, 2024

They were seen enjoying themselves in a lively late-night session in the Danish capital. Fan-recorded footage even showed one player humorously holding up a sign. The sign read, “Enzo I miss U,” seemingly a nod to their former coach.

The timing of the celebration raised eyebrows, especially given Leicester’s ongoing struggles. The team currently sits in 16th place in the Premier League, facing mounting pressure.

Their defeat against Chelsea only intensified scrutiny, and the players’ partying session added fuel to the fire of discontent among fans.

The club officially dismissed Steve Cooper on Sunday, just a day after the Copenhagen outing. The decision came as the Foxes continued to falter in the league, struggling to escape the lower half of the table.

The management cited poor results and lack of progress as key factors behind the move.

Fans and pundits have questioned the players’ commitment and focus, given the timing of their late-night escapades.

With Leicester facing a challenging season, the responsibility now falls on the team to regroup and prove their dedication on the field.

The next few weeks will be crucial as they search for a new manager and attempt to climb out of relegation danger.

Check out more sports updates here.

SPORTS

Benin & Sudan Qualify For AFCON As Ghana, Nigeria & Tunisia Exit

Published

1 week ago

November 19, 2024

Reporter

Benin and Sudan Secure AFCON Finals Qualification Amid Upsets

Benin and Sudan clinched spots in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals after securing 0-0 draws on the penultimate day of preliminaries.

However, the day also witnessed surprising home defeats for powerhouses Ghana, Nigeria, and Tunisia, adding unexpected twists to the qualifiers for the tournament in Morocco.

Benin Survives Group D Battle

Benin entered a three-way fight with Libya and Rwanda for the second spot in Group D, as Nigeria had already qualified. Playing in Tripoli, Benin held Libya to a goalless draw, which proved enough to edge past Rwanda on a superior head-to-head record.

Rwanda shocked the football world by defeating Nigeria 2-1 in Uyo. After trailing early, Rwanda struck back with late goals from Jimmy Mutsinzi and Innocent Nsuthi, who plays semi-professionally in the United States.

The defeat exposed Nigeria’s vulnerability under caretaker coach Austin Eguavoen, their third coach in 2024. Following a 1-1 draw with Benin last week, Nigeria’s performance intensified the urgency to appoint a foreign coach ahead of the AFCON.

Only 3️⃣ spots left. 👀#AFCONQ2025 pic.twitter.com/mbVgKVH942

— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) November 18, 2024

Sudan Secures Second Spot in Group F

Sudan needed a point from their final two matches to qualify behind Angola in Group F. After suffering a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Niger, Sudan redeemed themselves with a hard-fought draw against Angola in Benghazi.

The result confirmed their AFCON berth, but Niger kept the pressure on with a stunning 2-1 victory over Ghana in Accra.

Niger’s upset relegated Ghana to the bottom of the group, ending their streak of 10 consecutive AFCON appearances.

⏰ Full-Time in Accra.

🇬🇭 Ghana 1️⃣-2️⃣ Niger 🇳🇪

⚽️ Jerry Afriyie 67’ | Ousseni Badamassi 22’, Oumar Sako 90+2’ #BlackStars pic.twitter.com/tUCOhlmN25

— 🇬🇭 Black Stars (@GhanaBlackstars) November 18, 2024

Despite debutant Jeremia Afriyie scoring an equaliser, Ghana conceded a late header by Oumar Sako in stoppage time. Mohammed Kudus added to the home side’s misery by missing a penalty in a forgettable campaign for the Black Stars.

Tunisia Loses Top Spot in Group A

Although Tunisia had already qualified, they suffered a shock 1-0 loss to Gambia in Tunis. Abdoulie Ceesay’s 17th-minute goal toppled Tunisia from the top of Group A.

Earlier, Tunisia also suffered a defeat at home to the Comoros Islands, who clinched first place after defeating Madagascar 1-0. These results highlighted the growing competitiveness of African football.

Morocco Completes Perfect Campaign

AFCON hosts Morocco demonstrated dominance in Group B by finishing with a flawless record. Brahim Diaz led the charge with a hat-trick in a 7-0 rout of Lesotho. Morocco scored 26 goals in six matches while conceding only two, showcasing their readiness for the tournament.

Final Qualifiers to be Decided

Thirteen matches remain in the qualifiers, but only four hold significance for the final three spots in the 24-team tournament.

With several unexpected results already shaping the competition, the final day promises more drama as the remaining teams battle for their place in Morocco.

The unexpected upsets and competitive performances underscore the evolving landscape of African football, setting the stage for an exciting 2025 AFCON.

Check out more sports updates here.