The South African Football Association (SAFA) sacked Bafana Bafana head coach Molefi Ntseki on Wednesday after just 20 months in charge of the national team.

• SAFA have terminated the contract of Molefi Ntseki, ending his reign as head coach of Bafana Bafana.
• The 51-year-old has only overseen nine matches in his 20 months in charge of the national team.
• SAFA hopes to announce Ntseki’s replacement before the start of the World Cup qualifiers in June.

The South African Football Association (SAFA) sacked Bafana Bafana head coach Molefi Ntseki on Wednesday after just 20 months in charge of the national team.
SAFA shocked the football fraternity in handing the unknown Ntseki a five-year contract in August 2019 after Stuart Baxter resigned. 
The 51-year-old Ntseki has only overseen nine matches but failed in his primary mandate to guide the senior men’s national team to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
Ntseki and Bafana needed just a draw in their final group match away to Sudan on Sunday to secure Bafana Bafana a ticket to Cameroon in next year’s tournament set to be held over January and February.
However, a plucky Sudan made the most of their home advantage and handed Bafana Bafana an embarrassing 2-0 defeat, ending Ntseki’s hopes of participating in Africa’s biggest football showpiece.
Sudan, along with Africa powerhouse Ghana, advanced from Group C to qualify for Afcon, with Bafana Bafana ending third ahead of Sao Tome and Principe.
That all but sealed Ntseki’s fate as SAFA opted to terminate his contract, the association confirmed on Wednesday in a press conference in Johannesburg.
In his nine matches in charge of the national team, Ntseki’s Bafana Bafana won four, drew two and suffered three defeats.
Now, South Africa’s leading football body will begin the search for Ntseki’s replacement – the 10th head coach for Bafana Bafana in 15 years.
SAFA hope to start that process early next week. 
The World Cup qualifiers for African nations are expected to kick-off in June, with the date, fixtures and venues set to be announced in the coming weeks.
Bafana Bafana are again in a group with the mighty Black Stars (Ghana), and will also take on neighbours Zimbabwe and Ethiopia for a ticket to Qatar in November and December next year.