The South African will focus on the COSAFA region and also venture into the English-speaking countries while Mabrouki has been tasked with helping the French-Arabic nations.

Recently the duo was in Zurich, Switzerland as guests of FIFA.

This is a further cap in Coach Cox’s outstanding CV, with the highlight being part of the Banyana squad that won the 2022 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

With the Johannesburg-born Coach Cox serving as a goalkeeper coach at the competition, South Africa’s Andile Dlamini was crowned Goalkeeper of the Tournament following three clean sheets in the six games the African Champions played.

Coach Cox will undergo further training so as to be able to conduct workshops according to the FIFA structures.

He is expected to present FIFA workshops to the goalkeeper coaches around the continent and eventually globally.

“It is a great privilege to introduce a seasoned goalkeeper coach and qualified CAF instructor from South Africa as a FIFA Goalkeeper Expert and this will benefit the country and the continent at large. Cameron is one of the talented goalkeeper coaches but also ticks all the boxes. He has all the quality qualifications required for FIFA and has really impressed over the years,” said Alejandro Heredia, Argentinean born, South African-based FIFA Senior Goalkeeper Expert.

“I introduced him recently to FIFA officials and he did very well when asked to deliver a presentation on high level Goalkeeping coaching elements. Cameron will eventually replace me as I have been doing this for 15 years and I need to groom him further. He has been doing really well locally and internationally, and it is one of the reasons why he was invited to FIFA’s Headquarters in Zurich. I believe he can assist goalkeeping coaches in South Africa tremendously.”

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For now, he will continue working with Banyana, with an eye on defending the WAFCON title in July this year in Morocco.

Having worked with the South African Men’s U23 National team, U20 Men’s and Women’s National team, as well as the U17 Men’s and Women’s National team, Coach Cox is one of the longest serving Goalkeeper Coaches at the South African Football Association (SAFA), dating back to 2009.

He has been consistently involved with goalkeeping since he completed the first official goalkeeper’s course in 2005 conducted by Instructor Heredia.

Coach Cox has won two COSAFA Women’s Championship titles (2019 and 2020) with Banyana and has been to three FIFA World Cup competitions with the African Champions in 2019 (France) and 2023 (Australia and New Zealand).

In the latter he was instrumental in helping Banyana progress to the round of 16 with South African goalkeeper Kaylin Swart nominated as one of the top 10 best goalkeepers at that World Cup.

Coach Cox as well as 2017 (Korea Republic) with the South African U20 Men’s National Team.

Coach Cox holds all qualifications in the goalkeeper coaching discipline, including CAF A Licence, SAFA Level 3 (Pro Licence), SAFA Instructor, CAF and FIFA Goalkeeping Instructor.

In 2020 he was awarded the Minister’s Recognition Award for Excellence in Sport by the then Minister of Sport Nathi Mthethwa.

Two years later, following Banyana Banyana’s triumph in the WAFCON, he became the recipient of The President’s Appreciation Award conferred by State President, Cyril Ramaphosa.

Coach Cox’s hand also shown when Banyana registered clean sheets in the two friendly matches against Lesotho – using a total of three goalkeepers for the two games.

South Africa won 1-0 and 2-0.

JAIROS TAPERA

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