Incensed South African Football Association (Safa) CEO Dennis Mumble has labelled speculation that Bafana Bafana coach Ephraim ‘‘Shakes” Mashaba could be shown the door and replaced by Bidvest Wits mentor Gavin Hunt in the coming weeks as ‘‘utter nonsense”. Bafana failed to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations at the weekend and the rumour mill has launched into overdrive‚ anticipating imminent change in the national team technical setup. But Mumble said while they are disappointed that Bafana will not line up against the continent’s best national teams in Gabon in January next year‚ the speculation ‘‘is completely off the mark.” ‘‘If there is anyone who is going to approach a coach it is me as the Safa CEO and that has not happened‚” he said.‘‘I really do not know where this is coming from and it is utter nonsense. That was never on the cards and the leadership of Safa must be allowed to do its job.‘‘As far as I am concerned we are not in the market for a new coach.”Mashaba is expected to face the Safa technical committee this week and explain what went wrong in the 2017 Nations Cup qualifiers.The Bafana coach has himself conceded that things could have turned out very differently had he planned better in the beginning of the qualifiers last year.This admission could put him on the back foot when he goes before the technical committee to explain himself. But whether this glaring shortcoming will be enough to effect a change of coach is highly unlikely as Mumble himself indicated on Monday.The Safa CEO told Times Media a few weeks ago it was important to note that qualifying for the Cup of Nations in Gabon was one part of Mashaba’s mandate as the Bafana coach also has to get the national team to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.While Mashaba’s charges were no great shakes in the continental showpiece qualifiers‚ they have been up to the challenge in the matches they have played in the World Cup qualifiers.‘‘There is a Safa technical committee that will deal with all these questions. They must be given an opportunity to engage all aspects of this matter.”..