Shakes’ lawyer says the fight was worth it

Johannesburg - Ephraim "Shakes" Mashaba’s attorney, Claudio Bollo, said his client fought "the good fight" and ultimately got what was due to him. 

“The coach had to fight really hard for what he believed he was entitled to. He stuck to his guns and ultimately we managed to get the two parties to agree,” Bollo said. 

Bollo said Mashaba’s camp is happy with the settlement they reached with the South African Football Association (SAFA) on Friday after a lengthy arbitration hearing. 

Mashaba approached the CCMA in February following his suspension in December last year which later resulted in his dismissal. 

He was found guilty of gross misconduct, insubordination and bringing SAFA into disrepute thanks to the comments he made in a post-match conference after Bafana Bafana’s game against Senegal in December 2016. 

Initially, the coach wanted to be re-instated to his position, but the cause changed, with a new coach having been appointed. 

Bollo said they had acted in the interest of the country by re-adjusting their demands.   

“It was not a matter of abandoning the efforts to get the coach back to his former position. As time goes by, things change and it’s always advisable to go for what will be in the interest of everybody. You can’t be strict to only one settlement even when there is a need to consider other alternatives,” said Bollo. 

The figure of the settlement was not disclosed, but it is believed to be more than the R1.5 million which SAFA offered last month. 

Mashaba had demanded a R2 million payout.