Retired former Nigeria inetrnational goalkeeper, Greg Etafia, has surfaced at Maccabi FC where he is hoping to help the ABC Motsepe League club win promotion to the National First Division.
Etafia was elbowed out at second-tier side Cape Town All Stars at the beginning of the year after having stabilised the team’s results in the two months that he had been placed as caretaker coach.
He now joins Maccabi as a goalkeeper coach while he is also involved as a coach with a development initiative known as Football Academy Plus, as well as his additional work as a TV pundit.
Maccabi are led by veteran coach Kenny Ndlazi.
“I am grateful for the opportunity that Maccabi have given me and I am glad to be working with a man of Ndlazi’s status because he is a respected figure with lots of experience in this game. I am hopeful that we can win the ABC Motsepe League (Gauteng) and then qualify for the Play-Offs,” says Etafia.
Maccabi – who have links with Highlands Park – are tied on points with JDR Stars with three games remaining but have an inferior goal difference.
Since retiring after Morokoa Swallows’ relegation from the PSL at the end fo the 2014/15 season, Etafia had worked as goalkeeper coach at the fallen club before overseeing the tail end of their NFD campaign last eyar when Ian Gorowa dumped the club.
This season he arrived at All Stars in September as goalkeeper coach following the appointment of Patrick Mabedi as replacement for Mlungisi ‘Professor’ Ngubane, but stayed on after the former Kaizer Chiefs captain left after just two weeks in charge.
The Nigerian then worked as second in command to Dylan Deane before eventually taking over at the end of October.
However, when Mabedi returned at the beginning of this year he was pushed out.
