Kaizer Chiefs legend Neil Tovey has become Safa’s new Technical Director on a 5-year contract.

“It’s a good appointment,” reacts Kaizer Chiefs Chairman Kaizer Motaung about Tovey’s appointment. “Neil has been our captain, he captained Bafana Bafana and he has coached clubs in the PSL. Besides that, Neil has substantial experience in youth development.”

“However, it won’t be easy. It will be hard work. I wish Neil strength and wisdom in his new position. We all want him to succeed as that will be to the advantage of South African soccer.”

Among Tovey’s responsibilities will be to oversee and speed up the roll out of the training of coaches across the country.

The new Technical Director is also mandated to improve and streamline the referees’ training programme in addition to the youth programme and woman football development.

Tovey received the Chairman’s Award from Kaizer Motaung at the recently held Kaizer Chiefs Awards evening.

He joined Amakhosi in 1990 as a midfielder at the age of 27 before becoming a defender. Two years later he took over the captaincy from Howard Freeze. In 1996, Tovey led Bafana Bafana, as the captain, to the historic African Cup of Nations win on home soil. He left Chiefs in 1999.

“I am very happy to have been selected,” says ‘Mokoko’, as he was nicknamed, about his new job at Safa. “However, I am not naïve, I realise there is a tough task ahead. A lot of the groundwork has been done. It’s now about implementing the various programmes.”

“I will also try to get provincial academies functional,” continues Tovey, “which will be crucial as feeders for the Under-13s and Under-15s national team. I want to involve former professional players, as they often know best what is needed to reach the top. However, of course, with youth development there is a fine line – former players need to have the right coaching qualifications. We are looking for high performance outcomes. It will be a challenge, but I feel up to it. I am ready.”