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Caf gives Zinnbauer, Hunt licence waiver for one season

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Josef Zinnbauer of Orlando Pirates and Gavin Hunt of Kaizer Chiefs
  • Post published:December 1, 2020

Kaizer Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt and Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer have been give one season by Caf to comply with the Caf manual and obtain an A licence from the organisation in order to compete in the continental tournaments, with their Uefa pro licence deemed acceptable only for one season.

Hunt had to wait for a last-minute decision from Caf to be allowed to sit in the Kaizer Chiefs dugout this past Sunday when they played a Champions League preliminary match in Limbe, Cameroon, beating PWD Bamenda 1-0 to carry an away-goal advantage ahead of the return leg in Johannesburg next month.

Initially the Amakhosi boss was ruled to not have the necessary qualification but, at the last minute, he was given the green light after the Soweto giants wrote to Caf requesting a waiver.

‘We received communication from Caf that this season all head coaches participating in the interclub competitions would not be allowed to sit on the bench unless they have a Caf A licence,’ Safa chief executive officer Tebogo Motlanthe told SoccerLaduma.

‘This has always been part of the Caf manual, but they are enforcing it this season. But Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates then wrote to request a waiver because their coaches [Hunt and Zinnbauer] comply as they have the Uefa A and Pro licence, respectively. And they were then awaiting a decision from Caf.’

Motlanthe said Zinnbauer, whose Pirates side take on Sagrada Esparanca of Angola in the first round of the Confederation Cup, is also off the hook.

‘The decision that has been communicated by Caf now is that, for this season, both the Chiefs and Pirates coach will be allowed to sit on the bench because of the qualifications they have. But for next season they will need to be in possession of a Caf A licence,’ the Safa CEO explained.

‘But this does not apply to the Bloemfontein Celtic coach [John Maduka] – he will need the Caf A licence.’

Maduka did not travel to the DRC, where his side beat AS Maniema 2-0 in the preliminary round of the Confederation Cup, suggesting he did not comply.

Manqoba Mngqithi, Rulani Mokwena and Steve Komphela of Sundowns have no such issues as they all possess the necessary qualifications.