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ENGLISH COACH IN SIHLANGU RACE

26/05/2024 15:57:00 Sanele Jele

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MBABANE – An English passport-holding coach Hassan Oktay has expressed interest in the vacant Sihlangu post.

According to sources close to the matter, since the Sihlangu post was advertised, numerous coaches, including former Orlando Pirates Coach Kosta Papic, have shown interest. Currently, Dominic Kunene is the Interim Head Coach and is assisted by Ernest Mavuso and Sifiso ‘Nuro’ Ntibane. The latest contender is a United Kingdom coach, a former West Ham Academy Coach with over 25 years coaching experience across the world, including extensive stints in Europe, Africa and Asia. The coach studied at West Ham United Football Club and observed the academy and first team, obtaining coaching certificates. The coach is currently not attached to any team.

short stint

The UEFA A Diploma Coach holder last coached Botswana’s Township Rollers in the 2021/22 season. Prior to this, he had a short stint with Kenya’s powerhouse side Gor Mahia from November 2018 to August 2019, where he won the Kenyan League title and reached the CAF Confederations Quarter-finals in 2018-19, earning the Manager of the Year Kenya award in 2019. He previously served as an academy coach for West Ham from 2000 to 2003, a youth coach for Norwich City from 2003 to 2005, and had a one-year stint with Watford FC’s academy side from 2005 to 2006. The seasoned coach obtained his UEFA A licence in 2012 and also possesses FA Level 1 and 2 Coaching Certificates. According to an advertisement by the EFA in the local newspaper, candidates must have submitted their paperwork before May 31. The eventual coach to be hired will be responsible for coaching, training, and preparing the players to international standards, as well as managing the performance and ethical behaviour of the national team.

The ideal candidate should have tertiary education in a sports-related field, a minimum of a CAF A Coaching Licence or a Pro-Coaching Licence, and extensive experience in club and national team football. UEFA coaching licences are highly regarded and widely recognised. While the specific comparison between a UEFA coaching diploma and a CAF A coaching licence is subjective, the widespread recognition and global trend of licensing coaches based on the UEFA pattern suggest that a UEFA coaching diploma may be considered advantageous in certain contexts. The winning candidate will be expected to lead Sihlangu to the AFCON finals set for Morocco in 2025, a feat the team has not achieved. Additionally, the appointed national team coach is expected to secure a respectable finish for Sihlangu in the World Cup qualifiers.