England Under-19 coach Stuart Baxter has been appointed as coach of Bafana Bafana — and if he signs the contract, he will start work on May 1, according to a ”world exclusive” report on the Kick Off soccer website.
Baxter edged out 30 top coaches from around the world, including 1994 World Cup Switzerland coach Roy Hodgson.
Born in the English Midlands, Baxter grew up in Fife in Scotland and played for Preston North End, Stockport County and Dundee, reports Kick Off.
He ended his playing career at AIK Stockholm and Halmstad in Sweden, where he began coaching and won six titles with clubs in Sweden, Norway and Japan. He also worked at Vitoria Setubal in Portugal, said the website.
He is a former manager of the year in the J-League and took AIK Stockholm to the double in Sweden. His other clubs include Lyn Oslo in Norway and San Frecce Hiroshima in Japan.
The website said that Baxter met with South African Football Association (Safa) officials in Johannesburg on Monday but returned to Britain on Tuesday morning.
Baxter will be the 11th coach for South Africa in 12 years.
Safa is only expected to announce the name of the new coach on Wednesday afternoon.
The coach will fill the post vacated by Ephraim ‘Shakes†Mashaba earlier this year. Safa fired Mashaba on the eve of the squad’s departure to Tunisia to play in the African Nations Cup finals. Mashaba’s assistant, Styles Phumo, was temporarily placed in charge for that tournament and has been ”caretaker” coach ever since.
Bafana Bafana play Australia at Loftus Road, London, the home of Queens Park Rangers, in a friendly on March 30 to boost the South African 2010 World Cup bid campaign.
Safa is planning another friendly for Bafana Bafana before the national team host Cape Verde on June 6 at home in the opening 2006 World Cup qualifying match.