BFA faces Mpote headache

Mqondisi Dube | Friday June 7, 2019 11:47

The association advertised the post and is looking to appoint an expatriate, with Mpote remaining in the technical team as assistant to the new man.

However, since his appointment, Mpote has done exceedingly well, guiding the Zebras to four victories in five matches, the team’s best run in three years.

The BFA is at the end of the recruitment process, with six international coaches shortlisted for the Zebras job, after more than 40 applications were received from around the globe.

A technical team tasked with picking the right candidate, will advise the BFA National Executive Committee (NEC) on the way forward, with the appointment due anytime.

A host of names have been linked with the vacant post, but Jelusic Veselin is seen as the strongest contender to make a return, while reports indicate that, to the contrary, former coach, Peter Butler did not make the shortlist.

However, with Mpote’s record thus far tempting, the BFA has been left with a pounding headache.

BFA president, Maclean Letshwiti, speaking this week from Poland where he had travelled on FIFA business, was non-committal when asked if he would reconsider the recruitment process following Mpote’s exploits.

Instead, he said the technical committee will guide him on the appointment of the coach.

“I have a plan to follow (regarding the coach), but that does not mean we cannot change for the better. I need to be advised by the technical team on this one,” Letshwiti said.

While the technical team had probably made up its mind on who to appoint to succeed Bright, Mpote might just have forced a re-think.

He lost his first game in charge, 1-0 to Angola, but since then, he has put on a string of impressive wins, which included the scalp of Seychelles (home and away), South Africa and Lesotho.

Mpote has taken the Zebras to their second COSAFA Cup final, where he faces Zambia at the Moses Mabhida Stadium tomorrow.