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Tinkler on Bafana Bafana job: That will always be a great opportunity
The former South Africa international midfielder is available for the position as he is currently unattached, since leaving Maritzburg last November
Former Orlando Pirates, Cape Town City, SuperSport United and Maritzburg United head coach Eric Tinkler says he would accept the position of South Africa coach if it was offered to him.
At the same time though, he has played down his chances of getting the call from Safa.
“Obviously I would never turn down an opportunity such as coaching the national team. That will always be a great opportunity, but to be honest with you I don’t think that call will come‚” Tinkler was quoted saying by Businesslive.
The Bafana hot seat was vacated on Wednesday by Molefi Ntseki, who was axed by Safa after failing to qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations.
The 1996 Afcon winner (during his playing days) has meanwhile called into question the lack of progress made by the senior national team over the past decade.
“It was highly disappointing that we failed to qualify, and the question is ‘what has happened to Vision 2022?’. The other question ‘is what has happened over the past 10 years?’
“We had a symposium in 2011 where all of these issues about youth development‚ structure and identity of the national team were discussed‚ but nothing has happened.
“What we have seen is that the senior men’s national team is going backwards [while] the women’s national team has made fantastic strides in the right direction‚ despite the fact that they don’t get the same resources," Tinkler said.
The 50-year-old also feels that it's become too easy to make coaches the scapegoat when teams fail in South Africa.
"I am sorry‚ but to continuously put the blame on coaches is something I completely disagree with," he commented.
“First and foremost, we have to be looking at ourselves within the hierarchy of football, and the players also need to start looking at themselves.
“This business of blaming coaches all the time must come to an end because there is only so much a coach can do. Once the players are out on the field‚ they need to produce and the coach can’t score the goals. They are the ones who are in charge and it is too easy to blame the coach.”
