With David Notoane having stepped down as SA Under-23 coach, here are four possible coaches to replace him.

Former SA Under-23 coach, David Notoane. 

South Africa's failure to qualify for the AFCON U23 tournament which also serves as an Olympics qualifier, is a total disaster.

Talented youngsters have missed out on an opportunity for further development through competitive international football, which would have been a possible pathway to Bafana Bafana, and overseas moves.

What hurts the most about their failure to qualify is that it was not through a fault of their own. Lack of adequate preparation for such a crucial encounter was the main factor.

And all fingers point to the mother body, SAFA.

Notoane revealed on MSW that he was working without a contract, which is a red flag for such a special project as the U23 team.

On top of that, he did not receive the necessary support, in terms of enough games to prepare the team.

Maybe it is time for SAFA to take youth national teams seriously, beginning with the appointments of full-time coaches instead of freelancers!

Also Read: https://safootballtxt.blogspot.com/2023/03/now-that-bafana-have-qualified-for.html?m=1

Four possible names for the job:

Thabo Senong

Senong has worked within the SAFA structures before, with youth and the senior national team.

He went on to gain more international experience as Botswana senior men's national team.

Once tipped as a future Bafana coach, Senong has a wealth of experience working with youth players, from his time with Diambars Academy.

He possesses all the coaching tools and experience needed to lead our U23s to the 2028 Olympic games.

Shaun Bartlett.

The former Bafana Bafana forward has shown a great ability to get the best out of youth players.

His work and experience with amaTuks and Cape Town Spurs has proven beyond any reasonable doubt his strengths as a coach.

If SAFA decides to stop cutting corners and appoint full-time youth coaches, there is no way Bartlett's name can be overlooked.

Farouk Khan

Khan is an encyclopedia of SA football, period.

His work from his Kaizer Chiefs days to Stars Of Africa is well-documented.

In a South Africa that is serious about its football, Khan would be part of the national youth structures.

His appointment would be a no brainer.

Mandla Ncikazi

From Lamontville Golden Arrows to Orlando Pirates, Ncikazi has shown he has what it takes to get the best out of local players.

He understands local football, and has adequate international experience with Pirates in the Caf Confederations Cup.

Given an opportunity and Support, Ncikazi can whip the U23 team into shape.