When Shakes Mashaba was appointed as the head coach of the Bafana national team last year, the South African Football Association placed no mandates on Shakes, much to the surprise of the football loving fans.

Today the Fan Park crew will take a look at three reasons as to why giving Shakes no mandate was a smart move.

No Pressure

Mashaba was not pressured into qualifying for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations and this could be one of the main reasons why we qualified in the first place. This ideally meant that he could focus on everything he wanted to do for the national team, instead of being obsessed in trying to correct the mistakes made by previous Bafana coaches.

He Will Be Given Time

With the future in mind, Shakes has the opportunity to build a squad that could compete in major competitions. Also, Shakes has done what many other coaches failed to do in the past, and that is change the mindset of the players who were chosen to represent Bafana. With a winning spirit now instilled in the veins of these youngsters, Shakes has the perfect opportunity to get the best out of them… in due time of course.

AFCON Performances Not Doom And Gloom

Many fans were highly disappointed at Bafana’s short comings in the AFCON and rightly so. However, after tasting defeat and experiencing what it’s like to play in a major competition, the squad would no doubt know what’s expected when going into the next major tournament.

Do you think that having no mandate for Shakes was a good move?