I’d be happy with job as assistant coach at Sundowns, says ‘Dance’

Dan Malesela says he would accept an assistant coach job at a club such as Mamelodi Sundowns should the opportunity present itself.

Malesela insisted his questioning the appointment of Romain Folz as an assistant at Downs was not that he wanted the job for himself.

Malesela, who has been without a job since he was unceremoniously removed from the hot seat at Baroka FC during the promotional playoffs last month, recently slammed Sundowns' appointment of Folz, saying he doubted the move was good for South African football.

Now “Dance”, as Malesela is affectionately known in football circles, has declared he would work as Sundowns' assistant coach should that chance ever come his way. Malesela also explained why he questioned Folz's arrival. The 34-year-old Frenchman previously struggled as a head coach at Marumo Gallants and AmaZulu.

“It would sound as if I wanted the [Sundowns] job for myself when that's not really the case but Sundowns is a place I would go to,'' Malesela told journalists on the sidelines of coach Pitso Mosimane's event to celebrate his honorary decorate from the University of Johannesburg and his 60th birthday at FNB Stadium on Friday.

“With Folz's appointment, I was just raising my concerns because in South Africa assistant coaches don't have the final say, so why bring in a foreigner who won't have the final say?

“That's all I was worried about — the succession rate of coaches we must have in the country. It looks like we are not worried about our own local coaches.”

Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates legend Malesela cemented his reputation as a highly-rated coach when he helped TS Galaxy win the Nedbank Cup when they were still in the second tier in 2018, stunning Kaizer Chiefs in the final. The former Chippa United boss said he dreams about coaching a side with resources one day, bemoaning he hasn't experienced that in his coaching career.

“It's not like I haven't coached good clubs but I haven't coached clubs with resources — I haven't had that luxury. I haven't had an opportunity where I am able to point to a player and say, 'I want that player', and I get him. It has always been scraping here and there.”