Helman Mkhalele confirms his aspirations to become 'head coach' with Bafana Bafana position set to become vacant

Ambitious Bafana assistant coach Helman Mkhalele is undergoing CAF A licence training in Lesotho.

Although he is seen as the prime candidate to take over when Broos retires next year, Mkhalele has faced criticism that he lacks the requisite qualification to coach a team at the Bafana level.   

To beat that trap, Midnight Express, as he is fondly known, has decided to return to the classroom and acquire the licence that will qualify him for the position. 

"I would like to first thank LeFA, the Lesotho Football Association, for creating the opportunity for me to be part of these students because it's not an easy thing, especially for a foreign coach to come and be provided with an opportunity to gain knowledge," Mkhalele said, as per SABC Sport.

"Because while I'm here as a coach, it is important that, number one, you have the necessary skills and knowledge on how to develop players."

"For me as a coach, I've also been working at a national team at the senior level, so it is important that I have the right qualifications," he added. 

The 56-year-old has made it clear that his ambition is to coach a national team in the future.

Given that he has been working as Broos' assistant head coach, it means he has more experience beyond the classroom.

"So I'm here to get a qualification, which is not the main objective. The main objective is to acquire knowledge and skills that I can apply in developing football," the retired attacker added. 

"I have aspirations to be a head coach one day, but the challenge is that CAF have made rules that you can't lead a team if you do not have a CAF A Licence diploma.

"So, for me to be able to fulfil my dream of leading a team one day, it is important to acquire this licence, even though the most important thing is to acquire the necessary knowledge and skill to have a positive and efficient contribution in the development of football."

Pundits and some Bafana legends have named Mkhalele and Benni McCarthy as the best coaches who can replace Broos.

Recently, former Pirates star Teboho Moloi explained why the retired Bafana stars are the best to take over the national team.

"It's about time here at home we respect our own homegrown coaches. All along, the noise was 'Helman doesn't have qualifications' or 'Helman is not suitable to work as a Bafana Bafana assistant or at whatever level'," Moloi said.

"Hugo Broos has said that 'Helman must replace me' because he can see his knowledge; he can see that this man has played at the highest level. In 1995, he won a star for Orlando Pirates; in 1996, he won the AFCON for Bafana Bafana. How many years did he spend playing overseas in Turkey?

"Benni has to go to Kenya to prove he's a qualified coach? Like Helman, he has played at the highest level. Benni has proven without doing any favour that he can lead a national team," he added. 

"Helman has proven himself as an assistant coach; even Hugo Broos is saying a lot about him. So for once, when it comes to the national team, let's look at our own. They are qualified, they have papers, and they have experience." 

Meanwhile, Mkhalele and Bafana's primary focus now is the upcoming African Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in Morocco. The continental showpiece will start in December and end in January next year, and Broos has already named his preliminary squad.   

After AFCON, where Bafana hopes to go beyond the semi-finals unlike in the last edition, South Africa will shift focus to the 2026 World Cup finals.