SA appoint new soccer coach
25 March 2004
The South African Football Association on Wednesday announced that England Under-19 coach Stuart Baxter has been appointed as coach for the senior national soccer squad, Bafana Bafana.
Baxter (50), who will start work on 1 April, replaces Ephraim "Shakes" Mashaba, who was fired on the eve of the African Cup of Nations in Tunisia in January. Baxter has been given a two-year contract, and will be expected to lead South Africa to qualify for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.
Baxter will take over from Mashaba's assistant, April "Styles" Phumo, who has been in charge since Bafana's disastrous campaign in the continental competition.
According to Kickoff, Baxter was born in the English Midlands, grew up in Fife in Scotland and played for Preston North End, Stockport County and Dundee.
He ended his playing career at AIK Stockholm and Halmstad in Sweden, where he began coaching and won six titles with clubs in Sweden, Norway and Japan.
He also worked at Vitoria Setubal in Portugal.
He is a former manager of the year in the J-League and took AIK Stockholm to the double in Sweden. His other clubs include Lyn Oslo in Norway and San Frecce Hiroshima in Japan.
Baxter will be the 11th coach for South Africa in 12 years.
Phumo will be in charge when Bafana play Australia at Loftus Road, London, the home of Queens Park Rangers, in a friendly game on 30 March that is aimed at boosting South Africa's 2010 World Cup bid campaign. Baxter is expected to be an observer at the match.
Baxter will be on Bafana's bench when South Africa host Cape Verde on 5 June in the country's opening 2006 World Cup qualifying match.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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