SA under-23 coach David Notoane’s future hangs in the balance

04 August 2021 - 10:21 By mahlatse mphahlele
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
David Notoane, head coach of Team SA, watches the Men's First Round Group A match against Mexico on day five of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on July 28v2021.
David Notoane, head coach of Team SA, watches the Men's First Round Group A match against Mexico on day five of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on July 28v2021.
Image: Masashi Hara/Getty Images

The future of SA under-23 coach David Notoane hangs in the balance after the team’s disappointing showing at the Olympics Games last month.

The side lost all their matches in the group stages to Japan‚ France and Mexico to register‚ confirming their worst showing at the Olympic Games after appearances in Sydney in 2000 and Rio in 2016.

Notoane told TimesLIVE he does not know what the future has in store for him.

“My engagement with the SA Football Association (Safa) is per camp, and at the end of every camp it is pretty much done‚ so they can call someone else for the next camp. My contract ended after the Olympics and at the moment my future is uncertain‚” he said.

Safa chief executive Tebogo Motlanthe said Notoane’s future will be decided by the technical committee after they have interrogated his technical report from the tournament.

“We don’t employ coaches on a permanent basis so what is going to happen is that he must submit a report and the technical committee will make a call.

“I am going to schedule a meeting with himd.”

Notoane said at the beginning of his engagement he was asked by Safa to qualify the team for the Olympics and he feels he has done his job‚ even though the team didn’t get the desired results in Tokyo.

“I have done what I was brought in to do‚ which was to qualify the team and take it to Tokyo. I agree we didn’t perform the way we wanted in Tokyo. Going forward‚ one has to review the process and conditions of engagements‚ which are not conducive to doing justice to the expectations of the country.

“As coaches we are judged by results and the results don’t warrant me to continue‚ but that is a decision for Safa to take. That decision rests with technical committee‚ but the investment in terms of experience is there. I will submit the technical report to the technical committee and hear from them. I don’t know if I will be required for the next camp.”

Notoane said things have to change at Safa House for him to consider continuing coaching the team.

“Things have to radically change for me to continue because I don’t want to continue serving as the national under-23 coach while at the same time working at Sundowns because it is demanding.

“Also it doesn’t do justice the national cause and for me to meet expectations because the times you have available to yourself to monitor players and be hands on is not there.

“ I will continue if the conditions are different. David Notoane is the national under-23 coach going to the Olympics and he is working part-time‚ and we say we are a country serious about identifying and developing talent.

“It can’t be. When I came in my understanding with [former Safa CEO] Russell Paul it was let us qualify for the Olympics and after qualifying we can look at the long-term commitment‚ which never came.

“No commitment for a long-term arrangement means maybe there is a lack of confidence in me being part of the Safa structures going forward.”


subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now