PRETORIA: Pitso Mosimane – lucky to survive after African Nations’ elimination last year – has been sacked as national coach of South Africa after the disappointing 1-1 draw with Ethiopia at the weekend in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

Bafana Bafana could only manage a point in their opening World Cup qualifier in Phokeng, prompting the South African Football Association to take swift action.

Mosimane’s assistant Steve Komphela will take charge of the side’s next two games – against Botswana in another qualifier this Saturday and then the international friendly against Gabon later this month.

Mosimane took over from Carlos Parreira in August 2010 and leaves with a record of five wins, seven draws and three defeats from his 15 games in charge.

In a statement, SAFA said its Emergency Committee met  “to evaluate the performance of Bafana Bafana as a direct result of the first 2014 World Cup qualifier between South Africa and Ethiopia held on Sunday”.

It “considered the reports that were tabled at the meeting and mandated SAFA vice-president Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana and the ceo of SAFA, Dr Robin Petersen, to hold an urgent meeting with Mr Pitso Mosimane to discuss the matter.”

This meeting was held at the Royal Marang Hotel in Phokeng near Rustenburg the same day, and “both parties agreed to part ways amicably in the best interests of both the country and the national team”.

SAFA President Kirsten Nematandani said: “The Association will be indebted to Mr Mosimane for the work he has done for SAFA since his appointment as head coach of Bafana Bafana and we wish him well in his future endeavours.

“This Association wants to place on record that Mr Mosimane is the only coach that has assisted SAFA by donating a portion of his salary in the pursuit of the development agenda of the Association which included assisting the ex-professional football players to attend the coaching course that is currently on-going at SAFA House.”

Petersen added: “We appeal to the nation to also support the caretaker coach, the technical team, the players and the whole team going forward. We have entered into a crucial period of World Cup qualification and we will need all hands on deck to ensure this country gets to Brazil in 2014, as well as perform admirably at the 2013 AFCON tournament that we will host”.

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