Stuart Baxter will no longer coach the national team for the African Nations Championship, handing over the task to assistant Thabo Senong.
The SA Football Association has decided that Baxter cannot afford to be involved in the two-leg tie against Zambia next month to decide a place in next January's finals in Kenya.
South Africa will host the first leg of the final-round qualifier on Saturday August 12 and play the return match in Zambia a week later.
The dates conflict with the start of the new Premier Soccer League season and again Safa will have to beg for players to put together a team.
"We will probably look again at the under-20 side to provide the backbone of this selection and that is why it is better that Thabo take charge," said Safa president Danny Jordaan.
Senong coached the South African side during May's Under-20 World Cup in South Korea.