'Who's in charge?' SAFA technical director's big call on PSL coaches as associations cross swords

South African Football Association (SAFA) technical director Walter Steenbok wants to bring about one significant rule change in both the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and the National First Division (NFD).

Steenbok is looking to implement reform that will require all head coaches, including assistant coaches, wanting employment in the PSL to be accredited with a Confederation of African Football (CAF) A licence. In contrast, the prerequisite for NFD coaches is a CAF B licence.

"When you have a lot of teams in the PSL not employing qualified coaches, it talks to our members because I have presented before that we have 459 CAF A licence holders in South Africa," Steenbok said. 

"So, we are not short of numbers, but we have to enforce [the rules] because it is our (SA Football Association) territory, and we must implement them. If you don't implement it, you are going to have people asking who is in charge. 

"[The media] say we don't have players in the top five European leagues, but who is coaching these players in South Africa?"

Steenbok said the proposed move is to safeguard SAFA and South African football following CAF's recent change in the men's club licensing regulations.

In July last year, Africa's leading football association adopted a new CAF club licensing system regulatory framework, and SAFA is also eager to get closer to those parameters.

The new CAF men's club licensing regulations have binned their previous A, B and C category types and nailed them into separate continental and domestic criteria.

The continental criteria state that head coaches competing in CAF's inter-club continental competitions (Champions League and Confederation Cup) must have a CAF A License, with assistance coaches required to have at minimum