It’s unacceptable that it's taken so long to hire new Banyana coach‚ says Safa CEO Mumble

One of the South African Football Association’s (Safa) three candidates earmarked as the new Banyana Banyana coach could not be appointed because the association could not agree terms with them‚ Safa CEO Dennis Mumble said on Wednesday.

Mumble had said three weeks ago that Safa had settled on their leading candidate and hoped to make an announcement within a week.

Since then Banyana have won the 2017 Cosafa Women’s Championship with a 2-1 victory against hosts Zimbabwe in the final in Bulawayo on Sunday under caretaker-coach Desiree Ellis.

Mumble said Ellis is among three candidates for the position vacated by Vera Pauw in August 2016‚ 13 months ago.

Asked what had happened to Safa announcing their successful candidate‚ Mumble said: “Ja‚ and then things changed. So we said we just had to work on it and go and do something else.

“This is not an appointment we are looking at for a year or two. It must provide stability for Banyana in the coaching ranks.

“So I’m hoping that soon we are going to finalise that thing‚ because I would agree that it’s unacceptable that it has taken so long.

“But in any negotiation people have their demands – they start there in the sky and then you end up on the ground.

“With the last one we ultimately hit the ground and it didn’t work with that one‚ so I’m now with the second one.

“The committee made three choices. We were sent to go and negotiate with those three.

“Last week I deposed a discussion with one of the choices. This week I am discussing with the second one‚ and hopefully we can come to an agreement.

“I am hoping that very soon we are going to make that announcement.

“Whether it is one of the three‚ one is out of the way‚ the second is being done.”

Mumble was asked if the problems with the candidate who fell through related to financial demands.

“It’s a combination of things‚ but I don’t want to discuss the details of things that are essentially private for people‚” the CEO said.

Mumble and Safa chairman Danny Jordaan’s trip to the USA in April is believed to have been partly for the purpose of finding an SA women’s national coach.

 - TimesLIVE