Roger de Sa, a highly underrated South African tactician, is set to attend his third FIFA World Cup as part of Ghana’s coaching staff, thanks to a pivotal phone call from Carlos Queiroz, marking a reunion from their previous collaborations with Bafana Bafana and Iran. Picture: BackpagePix
Image: BACKPAGEPIX
Roger de Sa might just be one of the most underrated tacticians in South African football, as the former Bafana Bafana keeper is heading to his third FIFA World Cup as a coach. It’s also the first time a South African has achieved this feat.
Having served as the goalkeeper for Bafana at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and then as assistant coach of Iran at the 2022 staging, De Sa is now heading to this year’s edition as part of the Ghana coaching staff.
De Sa, who hung up his gloves and boots in 2001 as his playing days came to an end, immediately moved into coaching with Wits University.
Even as a young coach in 2002, he was called on by then-Bafana coach Carlos Queiroz to help out in the keeping department in the nation’s second-ever appearance at a FIFA World Cup.
Almost a quarter of a century later, it was again Queiroz who called on De Sa for some coaching assistance for the Ghana national team.
Queiroz was appointed as Ghana coach in April, a matter of months before the World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Since the timing of his appointment was less than ideal, Queiroz naturally opted for his tried and tested approach, which meant a late-night phone call to De Sa.
“I got the news overnight. I received a message from Carlos Queiroz basically asking me if I was up for a big challenge again, and he asked me to call him as soon as I woke up,” De Sa told Ongama Gcwabe for SportsBoom.co.za
“He basically told me that, look, the Ghana national team was looking for his services, and obviously, he would require me to go and assist him, and it was not a very difficult decision to make and accept.”
Though De Sa’s list of accolades continues to grow, it was always with a simple approach in mind, he explained.
“As far as milestones are concerned, I know I'm a triple international and obviously being involved with seven national teams, and I’ve coached players like (Mo) Salah and Ronaldo and a couple of other big guys and having been to two World Cups,” said De Sa.
“I've never had big dreams, to be honest with you, as a kid. It was always to just win every day, win every match, win every training session, and try to win every competition. It has been about just having that type of mentality all the time and trying to do the best I can in every single moment. That's how it's been throughout my career and life.”