Bafana coach 'to be named next week'

Safa will announce the new Bafana Bafana coach as early as next week, with president Danny Jordaan keen to end speculation about who will take over from Gordon Igesund.

The Times understands the appointment would have been announced already but for Jordaan's role as a special adviser to the World Cup in Brazil, which continues to occupy his attention.

At the same time Safa will also confirm who will be the country's technical director, the post currently held by Fran Hilton-Smith, who has been in an acting capacity for the past 18 months after Serame Letsoaka was appointed as Bafana assistant coach to Igesund.

"We cannot delay this process any longer with the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on the horizon," Safa communications head Dominic Chimhavi said.

"Mr Jordaan is adamant we have to give this urgent attention. As soon as he arrives back in the country we should have an announcement to make."

That would suggest that Safa have their man in the bag, but would also contradict a statement from the governing body on Monday that refuted, once again, claims from Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi that he had had an offer from Safa.

"There is no iota of truth in this statement.

"Safa has not offered any coach the Bafana Bafana coaching job and we don't take kindly to such rumours," Jordaan was quoted as saying.

"It is not true because Safa has not entered into a discussion with any coach or a representative of any coach."

Another leading contender, Carlos Queiroz, is in Brazil watching the remainder of the World Cup and could sign a contract there.

According to reports in Iran, he has an offer of $2-million (R20-million) per year plus bonuses on the table from that country to lead the team to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

This will, in part, be funded by the Iranian government.

That is a salary likely out of reach of Safa, but Queiroz, in admitting that he had received an offer from Iran, has stated that money is not a motivating factor in deciding where his future lies.

"I have not opened that letter yet. Money is not an issue for me," he told Iran's 2014 TV show.

"My only concern is would the clubs release the players for national team camps?

"Would we have a good training pitch where we can work with the players?"

Queiroz was previously Bafana coach from 2000 until 2002 before being dumped, despite qualifying the country for the World Cup finals in South Korea and Japan that year.

He would go on to have two spells as assistant manager at Manchester United, lead Real Madrid as their head coach and take Portugal to the 2010 World Cup.