Igesund would 'consider' Orlando Pirates job if offer is tabled

Former Bafana Bafana coach Gordon Igesund says he would consider returning for a second stint with Orlando Pirates if they approach him.

The Pirates job was left vacant following the departure of Josef Zinnbauer on August 16, leaving Mandla Ncikazi and Fadlu Davids as interim co-coaches.

Cavin Johnson has also been linked with Pirates, with rumours flaring up after he reportedly stepped down from his role as assistant to Pitso Mosimane at African football heavyweights Al Ahly.

With the Buccaneers unconvincing this season under the stand-in coaches, they might be forced to turn to Johnson or any other coach while Igesund who guided them to the Premier Soccer League title during the 2000/01 season would not turn them down.

"Without a doubt [I am available if Pirates table an offer]. I won the league with that team," Igesund told Goal.

"But I have a football academy as you know. We have a proper football academy. The project is fully operational at the moment. I have 15 coaches and other staff in place, I have my own facilities, tutor programmes, so everything is in place. My academy can run quite nicely with the people I have.

"But I will definitely consider them. Pirates are a big institution in South African football without a doubt. I had good times when I was there. I won the championship with them. The first year with them I won the BP Top Eight Cup, I reached the Rothmans Cup final."

A four-time PSL title-winning coach with Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns, Santos and Manning Rangers, Igesund has changed gears in his career since his last PSL job with Highlands Park in 2017.

The 65-years-old, who also had a stint with Bafana, says he has turned down offers from some PSL clubs but would be open for a return to the Soweto giants.

"I'm still very active, I'm strong, I have done a lot for the game. I have been offered other jobs but I didn't take them because they weren't exciting for me," said Igesund.

"If I get back [to coaching a PSL team], I want to win the championship. I want a team which believes they can win the championship. If they were interested, they would obviously talk to me and I would consider something like that.

"You know I'm a very strong person and I don't take nonsense, I make things happen. Every team I have coached has won the championship in the first year I am there. I don't need eight months to get the team right."

There has been pressure at Pirates to end a decade-long PSL title drought, a period in which they have watched their Soweto rivals Kaizer Chiefs winning it twice and Mamelodi Sundowns asserting their dominance with six titles.