Ex-Kaizer Chiefs coach Molefi Ntseki returns to Bafana Bafana

Former Kaizer Chiefs coach Molefi Ntseki is back in the Bafana Bafana hot seat.

The 55-year-old will lead Bafana during the African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers against Egypt in the coming days. Ntseki will be assisted by South African U20 coach Raymond Mdaka.

The South African Football Association (Safa) technical committee chairman Jack Maluleke explained why Molefi Ntseki returned to Bafana.

“Remember, in the last NEC meeting, the SAFA technical committee recommended coach Molefi Ntseki after he was interviewed to head the technical development of SAFA, specifically the academies and junior teams as a manager,” he told SAFA media.

“After we got information that the South African senior national team coach requested that Helman Mkhalele must be recused from this team because we have the priority of Bafana Bafana playing 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin in a few weeks’ time, we agreed.

Molefi Ntseki replaces Helman Mkhalele at Bafana qualifers

“Coach Ntseki is there because he’s in the system and we requested him to assist because we needed somebody who can step in because this is an urgent matter,” Maluleke added.

Molefi Ntseki coached Bafana Bafana between 2019 and 2021 but his tenure was a failure having failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and Also the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

He later went to coach Kaizer Chiefs in 2023 but only lasted four months before he was given the boot. Last week, he lost his job as the technical director at Marumo Gallants.

Molefi Ntseki failed with Bafana but has a second chance to redeem himself during the CHAN qualifiers against Egypt.

Can Ntseki rectify his prevous mistakes?

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