Bafana Bafana has a temperamental history with coaches. This has been proven by the numerous appointments and disappointments we see come and go with each promising a new vision for Bafana and most not being around long enough to see the next year. Today, Fan Park looks at the list of Bafana coaches since readmission into the international arena, and looks at the average staying time.
This list excludes caretaker coaches (of which we have had a couple). So here are the numbers:
Since readmission South Africa has employed 16 full-time coaches. The average staying time of a Bafana coach is 13 months. The shortest spell a coach has experienced for South Africa was Bafana's first coach – Stanley Tshabalala, where he lasted just three months. South Africa's longest serving coach was Clive Barker, who led the boys for 32 months and famously won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations.
In South Africa's time in the international arena, we have had six foreign coaches. The shortest serving one was Ted Dumitru, whose reign lasted just six month. while and the longest serving "foreigner" was his predecessor Stuart Baxter, who lasted 20 months.
So how do these numbers look for the current head of the table, Shakes Mashaba?
Interestingly, this is Mashaba's third time in charge of South Africa. His first stint was as a caretaker coach, the second lasted nine months and his current spell has seen him enter his 18thmonth at the helm.
Luckily for Shakes, he sits above the average staying time of most Bafana coaches, yet he still lingers far behind the fruitful two-and-a-half-year reign of Clive Barker.
Do you think Shakes will serve Bafana for much longer? Which coach should have stayed longer?
