SAFA not empowering coaches – Eric Tinkler

He was responding to recent comments made by the mother body’s technical director Walter Steenbok, who slammed Premier Soccer League coaches for going about their business without having the CAF A license. 

Tinkler wasn’t able to sit on the bench during City’s participation in the Confederation Cup this season as a result. 

"It's simple to sit and blame the coaches when in reality you are not empowering the coaches and you haven't empowered the coaches in years. I get calls practically weekly from young coaches who want qualifications and they are asking me how and where they go to get qualifications and I say to them, 'Well you've got to ask SAFA that question not me. I'm a coach like you," the coach explained.

Steenbok has been given the greenlight by the SAFA national executive committee to design a blue print for the association. He is also aiming to implement a rule that forces topflight coaches to have the CAF A license or risk being unemployed.  

But Tinkler is asking questions of Steenbok. 

"What I do know is, the last time we hosted a CAF A license was in 2017, so who's to blame now? So, we're blaming the coaches still? Come on," he added.

In his criticism of DStv Premiership coaches last month, Steenbok singled out Musa Nyatama of Swallows and the Golden Arrows duo – Vusumusi Vilakazi and Mabhuti Khenyeza. 

However, Tinkler argues it’s not for the lack of trying. 

"I worked with Mabhuti for a short period at Maritzburg but Mabhuti was like "I want to do the courses; I want to do the courses but I can't do the courses. Then, now why are coaches going to Europe? Because there are no courses. They're all going to Europe because there are no courses here. Now you're saying the courses done in Europe are not valid," he added.

According to the City coach, his club did request for help in getting Tinkler his CAF A but a year later he is still waiting. 

"Believe it or not, we put it forward, we said we wanted to do it and they said 'Yeah, we are going to do an A license, we are going to get it done'. Then years have gone by and nothing has happened, just excuses but then they want to use the coaches as the scapegoat."