Hugo Broos' right-hand man dumps Bafana and heads back to Europe

Bafana Bafana assistant coach Cedomir Janevski has resigned, the SA Football Association (Safa) has confirmed.

Janevski arrived in SA last year as one of the two assistant coaches to Bafana head coach Hugo Broos.

However, the Macedonian coach has found a new job as head coach of Cyprian club AEL Limassol and, according to media reports in that country, will have his first training session on Monday.

Limassol have been courting Janevski since December last year.

Safa CEO Tebogo Motlanthe said after discussions with Broos, they agreed to part ways with Janevski amicably despite the latter still having about four years left of his Bafana contract.

“He had gotten the opportunity to go and coach overseas as the head coach. After discussing with the senior men’s national team head coach (Hugo Broos) we agreed that we should not deny him the opportunity,” Motlanthe said.

Motlanthe said Safa is not going to replace the Macedonian as Broos is happy with one assistant.

“Further to that, the coach has said that he is comfortable with having one assistant. So, going forward coach Helman Mkhalele will be the only assistant coach.”

Motlanthe said they don’t believe that having one assistant to Broos will hinder Bafana's progress and quest for success based on the fact that the coach is the one who advised them not to replace Janevski.

“There are national teams that have succeeded with one assistant coach and we always take the tune from the head coach, if he says he is comfortable knowing the volume of work.

“And these decisions are not fixed. If he comes back and says, ‘I’ve had a look back and now I need someone’ we will look at it. But for now, he has said he is comfortable in having Helman Mkhalele as his only assistant coach.”

Bafana will begin life without the Macedonian tactician when they face Sierra Leone and Botswana from next week.  

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