Coach Stuart Baxter said bringing in celebrated former national team defender Mark Fish as part of the Bafana Bafana technical team would be of great benefit.
The 45-year-old was roped in as Bafana’s player liaison man and Baxter said Fish’s years of playing at top level will come in handy for the team.
Fish together with Baxter and assistant coach Molefi Ntseki joined the Cosafa team coach, David Notoane in Durban on Tuesday where they will help him train the team ahead of Sunday’s clash with Botswana.
“Mark (Fish) brings in massive personality within Bafana Bafana. He is a winner and that is what we need within the senior national team set-up,” he said.
CELEBRATED: SA's Mark Fish during his playing days. Picture credit: safa.net
“He has played at the highest level and has won lots of awards during his playing career. The team needs his fighting spirit which he attained playing for the national team, for top clubs here at home (Jomo Cosmos and Orlando Pirates) and overseas (for Lazio and Bolton).
“We want him to impart some of that knowledge among the youngsters within Bafana Bafana. They must learn from him because his experience is priceless,” added Baxter who said Fish would be part of the Afcon delegation as he will be used to scout on opponents and write reports.
“We are really happy that we managed to get his services because here is an individual who has a great personality, likes winning and will definitely play a massive role within our senior national team,” said Baxter.
Fish started his career under coach Steve Coetsee, playing for Arcadia Shepherds, an amateur team based at the Caledonian Stadium in Pretoria. He was spotted by then Jomo Cosmos coach Roy Matthews and turned professional as a striker.
GOOD HANDS: The SA U23s are in good hands with coach David Notoane. Photo: Backpagepix.
It was at Cosmos that he was converted into a left back and went on to become one of the most promising defenders in South Africa at the time.
In 1994, Fish was signed by Orlando Pirates after Cosmos were relegated. At Pirates he arguably played the best football of his career under the tutelage of Mike Makaab. He also won the league title at Pirates, as well as the BP Top Eight Cup in 1994, the 1995 Caf African Champions League and the 1995 Bobsave Super Bowl (then the premier cup in South Africa).
He captained The Buccaneers when they beat JS Kabylie in the 1996 CAF Super Cup and the same year he was part of the history-making South African national team which won the African Cup of Nations at the first attempt after South Africa’s readmission in 1992.
African News Agency