Tim Sukazi pulls a U-turn on Bernard Parker as TS Galaxy's permanent coach - 'The acid test for him was to play Mamelodi Sundowns'

Bernard Parker is officially the main man at TS Galaxy. The former Bafana Bafana star has done enough to convince TS Galaxy owner Tim Sukazi that he is the right man to lead the project forward permanently.

Stepping up from the club’s reserve side during a turbulent period, Parker’s impact on the senior dugout was instantaneous, with the club hierarchy now fully backing him to take charge long-term.

This comes after the chairman had previously dismissed appointing Parker as the permanent coach saying he was not ready for the rigours of coaching fulltime in the top flight and promising he was fielding applications from coaches "from all walks of life.'

Speaking on PrimeSportsWithMahlatse, Sukazi explained that promoting the legendary striker was the only logical step for the club to take.

He highlighted Parker's ability to steady the ship after a disastrous run of form saw the Rockets lose nine out of ten league matches before his appointment.

“Look, now I don’t even need to speak volume, I mean logic,” Sukazi said.

“We have to follow reason and logic. So here we are, a young coach, South African football legend, and he’s got all the qualities and the credentials.

"He’s got all what it takes; he’s proven himself, he has pulled us out of the doldrums. After we had lost nine out of 10 league games, he had to coach the remaining five; he hasn’t lost a match.”

One of the defining moments of Parker's tenure so far was the tactical masterclass displayed against Mamelodi Sundowns.

Sukazi pointed to this fixture as definitive proof that the young coach possesses the tactical acumen required to compete at the highest level of South African football, regardless of the venue or the opposition's lineup.

“The acid test for him was to play Mamelodi Sundowns.

"After the big talk, when we had beaten them and eliminated them in the Nedbank Cup, there was a talk about our field, Solomon Mahlangu being small, and Teboho [Mokoena] was not playing, Ronwen [Williams] was not playing.

"And then I said, [Miguel] Cardoso, let’s go to Mbombela, let’s go there, big field, bring Teboho, bring Ronwen, and we won,” Sukazi added.

While the club is fully committed to the former Amakhosi man, the chairman noted that they are prepared to provide him with the necessary support as he grows into the role.

For Sukazi, the priority is to ensure that the progress made over the final weeks of the season is not lost as they prepare for the new campaign.

“So really, it’s not just a question of Parker having won.

"I think it took his, I would say, football acumen to devise a strategy, so he’s showing good signs.

"So now it’s a question I could pose to the country and say, South Africa, does it not follow logic, and would it not make perfect sense for Parker to remain in a coaching position as we develop him?

"Of course, when the pressure picks up, we’ll have the opportunity and the option, maybe, of sort of shielding him and all that.

"So, it is upon us, but his momentum has to be continued at TS Galaxy,” Sukazi concluded.