Shakes is back in the Safa fold

Shakes Mashaba is making a comeback to the Safa coaching ranks in a bid to blow the cobwebs off the national under-23 side

An official announcement of Mashaba's appointment to take charge of the Olympic team is imminent.

Mashaba is coach of the Swaziland senior national team, Isihlangu seMnikati , but his contract with the Swaziland Football Association ends in June.

Several Safa officials have told the Sunday Times that Mashaba has agreed in principle to take up the challenge of qualifying the under-23s for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

"The only snag is that he is currently employed. Everyone knows Mashaba is a man of honour and would not want to do anything to spoil his relationship with his employers," said a member of Safa's national executive committee.

"But we are confident he will answer the call of the nation. He is a son of the soil and, if needs be, we are prepared to engage our Swaziland counterparts to secure his release.

"We have no doubt that he is the right man for the job and his record speaks for itself."

It is understood that Khabo Zondo will be Mashaba's assistant.

Mashaba's coaching credentials make the former Moroka Swallows and Orlando Pirates captain the ideal candidate to command the Bafana feeder team.

He has a wealth of experience working with junior national teams.

The former Vaal Professionals and Black Leopards mentor rose through the coaching ranks after successful stints with the national under-17, under-20 and under-23 sides. He eventually became the Bafana Bafana coach.

Mashaba masterminded South Africa's qualification for the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, where the team managed a magnificent 3-1 romp against a Brazil side boasting a young Ronaldinho.

The team subsequently failed to qualify for the Olympics in Greece in 2004 and Beijing in 2008 under the stewardships of Conti Kubheka and Steve Komphela respectively.

A tough taskmaster who never hesitates to question the commitment of the players to the country's cause, Mashaba had run-ins with officialdom when he was at the helm of Bafana.

The most notable was an attempt to railroad him into selecting Benni McCarthy and Quinton Fortune, who had previously snubbed several national call-ups, but were suddenly available for a high-profile match against England to promote the 2010 World Cup bid.

Mashaba fell further out of favour with his bosses when he turned down requests from Mark Fish and McCarthy to arrive late in camp.

The duo wanted to remain with their European clubs for as long as possible and team up with the squad just days before the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations tournament started.

But Mashaba dug in his heels and excluded Fish and McCarthy from the Bafana squad.

The decision was to prove catastrophic for Mashaba.

He was slapped with a seven-day suspension and subsequently fired.