Baxter sees Fortune as a European-based Bafana assistant-coach

Stuart Baxter envisages Quinton Fortune being a European-based assistant-coach who can keep tabs on Bafana Bafana’s overseas-based players‚ South Africa’s head coach has said.

Fortune‚ then‚ would return for Bafana matches‚ Baxter said this week. The Bafana coach also sees the former Manchester United and Bafana midfielder being involved in South Africa’s junior teams‚ especially Thabo Senong’s Olympic U-23 side.

Fortune joined Bafana this week in their preparations for their Chan second-leg qualifying match against Zambia on Ndola on Saturday.

The ex-Atletico Madrid player has not been appointed full-time as Bafana’s second assistant-coach to Senong yet‚ but appears likely to be.

Baxter said Fortune's role if made permanent would be as a European-based assistant and liaison to the overseas-based players‚ returning for matches.

“Yes‚ and maybe a bit more than that‚” the coach elaborated.

“Probably also getting involved in our other national teams as well. There’s the Olympic (Under-23) team‚ and Thabo is as the first assistant would automatically qualify to coach that.

“But there’s no reason why Quinton shouldn’t get involved in that. And I should think the Olympic players would love to have Quinton as part of that team.

“So there’s a few different bits we could sew into the package and I think he sees that as quite exciting.

“He will probably be based in Europe. He is open to both. But we’re thinking about what is best for us.

“On my trip to Europe (last week) I set up scouts to watch our players there. But if Quinton was doing it‚ it would be a tighter structure.”

Fortune’s prospective appointment has met with some public backlash already. The midfielder often snubbed Bafana as a player‚ and his lack of coaching experience has been brought in to question.

The 40-year-old Capetonian‚ who lives mostly in England‚ has completed a number of coaching badges but has limited hands-on experience‚ assisting former Man United teammate Ole Gunnar-Solskjaer with Cardiff City’s U-21s.

- TimesLIVE