Ex-Bafana coach approves of Doc appointment
by Sipho Mlotha · KickOffAugusto Palacios, who coached Doctor "16V" Khumalo at Bafana Bafana and Kaizer Chiefs, has backed the appointment of the South African football legend to the South African Football Association (SAFA) technical committee.
SAFA President Dr Danny Jordaan confirmed the high-profile appointment after an Ordinary Meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) in Sandton. Khumalo, affectionately known as "16V", will serve as deputy to long-serving committee chairperson Jack Maluleke.
READ | Doctor Khumalo handed important role at SAFA
The 59-year-old former midfielder brings tactical knowledge and extensive on-field experience to SAFA’s inner circle. A key member of Bafana Bafana's historic 1996 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON)-winning squad, Khumalo has also moved into coaching and administration, serving as an assistant coach at Kaizer Chiefs and technical director at Baroka FC.
In his new role, Khumalo will help oversee South Africa's national football development strategy. The technical committee is responsible for evaluating and recommending coaches for senior and junior national teams, reforming scouting frameworks to identify amateur and youth talent for junior national selections, and assessing performance metrics and training methods across all national teams.
"Having played for Kaizer Chiefs, having played at the World Cup and AFCON, and overseas, he deserves to be part of the technical committee," Palacios told KickOff.
"Doctor Khumalo is from the township and has the knowledge, so he deserves to be there. I coached him at both Kaizer Chiefs and the national team, and I'm happy for him. The knowledge he has as a coach and a player shouldn’t go to waste."