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Cape Town - Former Bafana Bafana defender David Nyathi says the South African Football Association (SAFA) should keep Gordon Igesund as head coach of the national team, despite Bafana's failure to qualify for next year's Soccer World Cup in Brazil.
“I think it will be too harsh to fire Igesund. He has done well since taking over as a coach. Bafana have improved a lot. Let’s give him another term with a new mandate and see what happens. I would like him to stick around,” Nyathi told the GOAL.com website.
Nyathi, currently Ajax Cape Town’s assistant coach, was speaking on Sunday after the 2010 hosts finished second in their qualifying group, trailing the Group A winners, Ethiopia, by two points.
Bafana’s 4-1 victory over Botswana on Saturday was not enough to see them advance to the next stage of the World Cup qualifiers after the Ethiopians defeated Central African Republic 2-1 in Brazzaville.
Bafana’s elimination from the qualifying campaign signalled Igesund’s failure to reach his primary mandate as head coach of the national team, after already failing to take the team past the quarter-final stage at this year's Africa Cup of Nations.
But Nyathi believes it will be wise if Igesund stays in his role as Bafana need to restructure their long-term goals.
“We need to re-prioritise our goals and objectives with the players that we think can take us there. Igesund has laid a solid foundation and we should continue building on it,” he said.
“I think it will be too harsh to fire Igesund. He has done well since taking over as a coach. Bafana have improved a lot. Let’s give him another term with a new mandate and see what happens. I would like him to stick around,” Nyathi told the GOAL.com website.
Nyathi, currently Ajax Cape Town’s assistant coach, was speaking on Sunday after the 2010 hosts finished second in their qualifying group, trailing the Group A winners, Ethiopia, by two points.
Bafana’s 4-1 victory over Botswana on Saturday was not enough to see them advance to the next stage of the World Cup qualifiers after the Ethiopians defeated Central African Republic 2-1 in Brazzaville.
Bafana’s elimination from the qualifying campaign signalled Igesund’s failure to reach his primary mandate as head coach of the national team, after already failing to take the team past the quarter-final stage at this year's Africa Cup of Nations.
But Nyathi believes it will be wise if Igesund stays in his role as Bafana need to restructure their long-term goals.
“We need to re-prioritise our goals and objectives with the players that we think can take us there. Igesund has laid a solid foundation and we should continue building on it,” he said.
