Bafana coach Ntseki had a ‘verbal contract’ from day one‚ says Safa acting CEO Mokoena

Acting South African Football Association (Safa) CEO Gay Mokoena was surprised to see the headlines that indicated that Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki was yet to have contract three months into his job before it was officially signed on Tuesday.

Speaking at the Thursday press conference in which Safa revealed they will post a R74-million loss in the their financial year from 2018 to 2019‚ Mokoena said Ntseki had a “verbal contract” from day one after taking over from Stuart Baxter at the end of August.

“Unfortunately we can’t disclose the details of the coach’s contract‚” said Mokoena of the deal Safa finally put to paper with Ntseki’s agent‚ Thato Matuka‚ on Tuesday.

“I saw in the papers at the weekend that some people have made this [Ntseki’s contract] a big issue. I’m actually lost at why it is a big issue.

“The contract between the people happens when there’s an offer to somebody and somebody accepts. That’s a contract.”

Mokoena explained that as soon as Ntseki accepted the challenge to coach Bafana a contract was entered into‚ even though they were yet to sign it on the dotted line.

“It doesn’t have to be in writing. I’m sure we all know that – commercial law 101‚” Mokoena said.

“Once you’ve entered in that arrangement‚ in that agreement‚ you then have a chance to go and do the details. [It’s] like if I buy something from when are going to deliver‚ how’s the delivery going to happen and how the payment is going to happen etcetera. Those are the details.

“So the contract with the coach was entered on the day he was announced as coach because the association invited people‚ and he put his hands in the ring and the association accepted.”

Mokoena said he was surprised to see stories in the media that indicated Ntseki was working without a contract.

“Sometimes I feel we make big issues out of really nothing. At the moment we’ve finalised all the details with the coach‚ his conditions of employment and all those details that follow afterwards‚” the CEO said.

“So we were not employing the coach without a contract. It can’t happen – the coach was contracted from day one.

“All that needed to happen was to complete the details.”

Mokoena confirmed Safa are yet to employ Ntseki’s support staff on a permanent basis and said the association aims to conclude that before the start of the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers in March.

Also vacant are the permanent posts of the Under-20 and Under-17 national team coach for men after the departure of Thabo Senong at U-20 and Ntseki being elevated to Bafana from the U-17s.