Bafana Bafana assistant coach Helman Mkhaele has enrolled for the CAF A Coaching License, which is set to be hosted by the Lesotho Football Association.
The former Malatyaspor and Kayserispor winger, who was nicknamed the Midnight Express during his playing days, will be joined by his fellow Bafana Bafana legend David Nyathi and ex-PSL striker Mpho Maleka during the coaching course.
Nyathi has worked for Ajax Cape Town (Cape Town Spurs) as an assistant coach and for SAFA as the chief scout, while Maleka has coached several clubs, including Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila and Marumo Gallants.
The course will be held between 18 and 25 November at the Bambatha Ts'ita Sports Arena in Maseru, Lesotho.
Bafana head coach Hugo Broos is set to retire from professional coaching after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is scheduled to be co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.
The five-year contract that Broos signed when he took over the national team in 2021 is set to expire at the end of June 2026 and the former Club Brugge coach has decided to end his long and decorated coaching career.
All eyes will be on the South African Football Association as they search for Broos' replacement with the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers set to start after next year's World Cup.
Broos recently picked Mkhalele as the right coach to replace him when he steps down next year.
Broos, however, did caution that the problem is that Mkhalele does not have the required qualifications to work as a senior national team head coach.
In 2023, Mkhalele was announced as Bafana's coach for the COSAFA Cup and at the time, he held a SAFA level one badge.
However, COSAFA regulations stipulated that all coaches must have a CAF Pro, A or B coaching licence in line with CAF requirements.
Therefore, the former Orlando Pirates star was replaced by coach Morena Ramoreboli, who had guided Bafana to the 2022 COSAFA Cup triumph.
Later in 2023, Mkhalele officially got a B Licence after CAF approved the conversion of his old coaching certificate.
The Newcastle-born tactician will be qualified to be Bafana's head coach once he obtains his CAF A License in Lesotho.
On Tuesday, South Africa discovered their opponents in the 2025 FIFA Under-17 World Cup Round of 32 after reaching the knockout phase for the first time.
Amajimbos will lock horns with two-time World Cup quarter-finalists, Japan, at the Aspire Zone, Al Rayyan, Qatar, on Friday.
Japan are no pushover as they are undefeated in the ongoing tournament, having recorded two wins and one draw, which earned them the runner-up spot in Group B.
The winner of the tie between South Africa and Japan will take on either North Korea or Venezuela in the Round of 16.
