South Africa sacks coach Ntsiki after failing to qualify for the Nations Cup

South Africa | Times Of Sudan

The South African Football Association, on Wednesday, sacked its first team coach, Molivi Ntskei, after a sudden failure to qualify for the African Cup of Nations in Cameroon early next year.

The 1996 Nations Cup champions ranked third in their group in the qualifiers behind Ghana and Sudan, after losing 0-2 in Khartoum (against Sudan) last Sunday, while a draw was sufficient for them to reach the finals.

Ntsiki rose from coaching the South African under-17 team to captaining the senior national team in August 2019, winning four times in nine matches and was tasked with qualifying for the Nations Cup.

South Africa begins its 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign next June, and will compete in a group that includes Ghana, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia in the preliminary stage.

Only the group leaders qualify for the play-off stage.