Molefi Ntseki emerges as frontrunner for SAFA Technical Director role

Ntseki tipped to takeover SAFA Technical Director post

Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images

Former Kaizer Chiefs head coach Molefi Ntseki has emerged as a frontrunner to take over the vacant Technical Director role at SAFA.

The association is yet to appoint a replacement for Walter Steenbok, who resigned from the post earlier this year due to alleged lack of support internally.

Now, the motherbody's committee has put forward Ntseki's name as their preferred candidate to take over the reins and also recommended Desiree Ellis to continue overseeing proceedings at Banyana Banyana.

“The SAFA Technical committee recommended to the NEC that Molefi Ntseki should be appointed as the association's Technical Director and Desiree Ellis should be appointed as the coach of the South African senior women's national team, Banyana Banyana. The Technical committee recommended that they both be appointed on four-year contracts and the NEC endorsed both recommendations,” read the statement from SAFA.

"Ntseki has already had several engagements with FIFA and the world football governing body has agreed to support his programmes. FIFA has appreciated the fact that the South African national teams are doing well with both the SA U17 and the U20 teams participating in FIFA World Cup tournaments this year.

Ntseki previously coached Bafana Bafana, taking over from Stuart Baxter after the 2019 Africa Cup Of Nations (AFCON), where he deputized the Scotsman.

However, he was relieved of his duties after failing to qualify for the 2021 continental showpiece and landed a new role at Chiefs, where he was head of youth and scouting department before surprisingly being appointed as the head coach in July 2023.

Ntseki was shown the exit door just three months at the helm of Chiefs and resurfaced as a technical advisor at Marumo Gallants for a brief spell, before his exit opened the door for a task to lead the Bafana at the CHAN tournament.