Bafana interviews completed

Johannesburg - Free State Stars supremo Steve Komphela was the last of five candidates to be interviewed for the role as South Africa's head soccer coach on Monday.

The four other candidates - Gordon Igesund, Shakes Mashaba, Gavin Hunt, and Neil Tovey - all met the SA Football Association (SAFA) technical committee last week.

Komphela has been Bafana Bafana's interim coach since the sacking of Pitso Mosimane three weeks ago.

In his two matches in charge, Bafana drew 1-1 with Botswana in Gaborone last week, and beat Gabon 3-0 in Nelspruit on Friday.

"It [the interview] went well, but now I need my rest," Komphela said after completing his presentation at SAFA House.

"I have not slept since Friday, and spent the whole of yesterday [Sunday] preparing for this meeting."

The association's technical committee, headed by Fanyana Sibanyoni, will meet on Thursday to finalise the decision and a public announcement is expected on June 30.

According to media reports on Monday, the side's Brazilian assistant coach Jairo Leal was about to be fired.

"We decided to terminate on the coach's [Leal] contract because we felt that it was not Mosimane who failed, but him too," Sibanyoni told The New Age.

"With the new coach coming at the end of the month, it is important to create a platform where the new coach will be able to appoint his own technical team."

Leal has been Bafana's coaching deputy since 2007, under fellow countryman Carlos Parreira, and his contract was expected to run until the conclusion of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.