Pretoria-The outgoing Supersport United coach, Stuart Baxter, has signed a five-year contract as Bafana Bafana new head coach, the South African Football Association (SAFA) confirmed on Monday.
Speaking at a press conference, Safa CEO Dennis Mumble said: “What we have done in the past is that we hire from World Cup to World Cup. I can confirm that he signed a five-year contract.”
Outlining his future plans for Bafana Bafana, Baxter who replaced Shakes Mashaba said: “We need to be competitive and players will do it the SA way. The play should reflect the play in the country. I believe the nation has enough players to succeed and I believe in my abilities.
“I have not finalised my technical team, but I am working on it. I am looking forward to this challenge, if I was not ready, I would not have accepted the challenge.”
Safa and SuperSport United have agreed to work together to ensure that Baxter gets time off post the final league match on 27 May to prepare Bafana Bafana for the upcoming AFCON match against the Super Eagles of Nigeria on the weekend of 9-11 in Nigeria.
However, according to the agreement, Baxter will continue to fulfil his coaching responsibilities at the club for the remaining four Absa Premiership fixtures as well as the Nedbank Cup and Confederations Cup.
SuperSport United CEO, Stanley Matthews, wished Baxter the best of luck for his second term as Bafana Bafana Head Coach, but stressed that the focus right now is still on SuperSport United retaining the Nedbank Cup and finishing in the Top Four of the League.
"We obviously did not want to lose Stuart as our coach. He has done a great job in getting us to the competitive level we expect as a Club.”
Safa President, Danny Jordaan said the two focus areas are the 2019 AFCON and the 2018 World Cup.
Baxter joined SuperSport United in January 2016 and led club to a Top 8 finish and won them the Nedbank Cup trophy with a victory over Orlando Pirates on May 2016.
This season, SuperSport United reached the Telkom Cup Final and will face Chippa United in the Nedbank Cup semifinal on the 20th of May.
The South Africans have been handed a tough draw in Group E which comprises Nigeria, Libya and the Seychelles.-SAnews.gov.za
