The future of Helman Mkhalele seems to be bleak. The former Bafana Bafana assistant coach has been off the grid since parting ways with the national team after the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
Mkhalele spent five years at Bafana as Hugo Broos’s assistant, where they guided the team to an Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) bronze medal in 2023, qualified for the World Cup for the first time in nearly 25 years, and ultimately ended a 16-year absence from the global showpiece.
Bafana went on to progress to the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time in the history of South African football. Mkhalele was in the thick of things in achieving that feat.
READ: Pitso Mosimane shuts the door on Helman Mkhaleles return to Bafana role
Speaking to Sunday World recently at his home in Bryanston, north of Johannesburg, development guru Augusto Palacios said Mkhalele, whom he coached at Bafana between 1992 and 1994, has what it takes to coach at club level because of his national team experience.
“I think he was in the most difficult and challenging space with the national team, being an assistant coach at the Afcon twice, and the World Cup is an experience that not many coaches get. No one can take it away from him,” Palacios said.
“Mkhalele has better experience than most coaches now coaching at club level. “He is still fairly young but it is up to him to take up that challenge. I strongly believe he has enough experience now.”
- Helman Mkhalele served as assistant coach of Bafana Bafana for five years under Hugo Broos.
- During his tenure, Bafana won a bronze medal at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and qualified for the World Cup for the first time in nearly 25 years.
- Bafana reached the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in South African football history with Mkhalele involved.
- Mkhalele has been out of the public eye since leaving his role after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- Augusto Palacios believes Mkhalele has enough experience to coach at club level due to his national team coaching background.
If Pitso was a fair person, he ought to have roped him in as his assistant. Afterall, he has the necessary experience. But because Pitso always wants to be seen to be a special person, he left him out. But I’m one team in the PSL will offer him an opportunity to coach.
Pitso is not giving freebies there, particularly given what Mkhelele’s boss said about Pitso.And believe it not Pitso is on a much higher level than that Madala,a lot of former players who don’t want to arm themselves with real international coaching qualifications wouldn’t make it @ Hamilton ‘s staff.
You can say that again brother, if coach Pitso was a genuine person and had the best interest of the country, he would have included coach Mkhalele in technical team. We are talking about a South African born coach who won the CAF champions League as a player with Orlando Pirates, won the 1996 AFCON final as a player, that is in addition to everything else he has contributed in as far as where Bafana Bafana is at this point. I respect coach Pitso’s right and decision to choose his technical but, the country’s interest should come first. His justification about not including him is rather childish, comparing his decision to that of Carlo Ancelott who is said to have chosen his son to be his assistant. Look at our country’s rugby setup, after Jacques Nienaber won the world cup in 2019, when Rassie Erasmus returned as coach he kept him on board.Today, theSouth African rugby team (Springboks) is a brand because of their world dominance in the sport.
AS THINGS ARE PREVALENT NOW THAT THÈ NATIONAL TEAM IS BEING COACHED BY PITSO ,I WISH AND HOPE THAT MOKHÈLELE MUST THE COACH OF KAISER CHIEFS.
You may be right in thinking like wise, if he was not the brains behind the exclusion of Kaiser Chiefs players to be recognized in Bafana, just guessing 🤔
You see now, starting another conversation now
Why? He has not proven himself as an individual. Nothing qualifies him to coach Kaizer Chiefs
Let him start at smaller teams like Golden Arrows and Sekhukhune. They are always hiring coaches there.
That’s why you wrote your comment in caps 🥱
Pitso is not giving freebies there, particularly given what Mkhelele’s boss said about Pitso.And believe it not Pitso is on a much higher level than that Madala,a lot of former players who don’t want to arm themselves with real international coaching qualifications wouldn’t make it @ Hamilton ‘s staff.
He must go to KAIZER CHIEFS
South Africans are really unfair to Pitso Mosimane, let’s say he appointed Mkalele as his assistant, we would say, Pitso is doing good because of Mkhalele! We forgot that there times that Mkhalele was given opportunity to coach Bafana Bafana B and got no results! Didn’t Bafana Bafana B got nocked out of COSAFA under Mkhalele’s mentorship? In any World of soccer, a coach would always pick his own Assistants, #trusted assistants to work with! Mkhalele must first get a job as a Club coach! He must create his own CV not under Broos! What are Mkhalele’s achievements besides being on the bench as an assistant to Broos?
He won’t succeed at Chiefs . Kaizer Chiefs need strong prayer
Someone is saying Mkhalele is not qualified to coach Kaizer Chiefs yet Chiefs were so desperate for coaches that they were even coached by interpreters.And still are coached by someone who needs a translator to relay a message to the players.Chiefs must hire Lehlohonolo Seema,Mkhalele is too experienced to coach their lazy and overrated players.