DEADLOCK!

MBABANE – It seems Eswatini Football Association (EFA) is racing against time to pin down Sihlangu head coach Kostadin Papic.

With the coach’s contract ending in less than two months (December), reports suggest the two parties are yet to agree on terms of the new offer.  The coach allegedly wants an improved offer, which is more than the current one. The Serbia-born gaffer is allegedly getting E70 000 as net pay per month.

“EFA feels the new demands are high while the other party stresses on the need to improve it in order to get closer to what other national team coaches are getting  in the region,” alleged an impeccable source.

EFA Marketing and Communications Officer Muzi Radebe said he was blank about the matter, but highlighted that the coach was better placed to respond to it. He was quick to stress that such matters were private.
“It is between employee and employer. It’s an administrative issue and we have to respect that,” said Radebe.

issues

EFA President Adam ‘Bomber’ Mthethwa said he was not in position to discuss issues that were strictly for his office and the coach.
About a month ago, Mthethwa had disclosed that Papic was made aware of his office’s intention to renew the contract.

  Sought for comment, coach Papic could only confirm that the talks were not finalised. When asked if EFA had tabled the new offer, he was yet to respond to a message sent to his phone by 7:07pm yesterday.

With reports suggesting that the coach had already turned down offers from countries that include Namibia, time will tell if EFA will eventually tighten its grip on the former Orlando Pirates gaffer.

He officially came on board at the beginning of the year. He had signed a one-year contract. The coach has managed the national side in about 10 official matches, guiding the outfit to the final round of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers.

decisive

Sihlangu play Zambia away in  a decisive encounter of CHAN and they have to overturn a 0-1 deficit suffered in the first leg last month to get a ticket to the finals in Cameroon next year.

Meanwhile, most national team coaches in the region and continent are reportedly getting about E200 000 as minimum pay. Stuart Baxter, who recently parted ways with South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, was reportedly earning E980 000 per month. Djamel Belmadi, who steered Algeria to continental glory, takes home E784 000 per month.

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