Tinkler ropes in familiar duo for Maritzburg

Maritzburg United coach Eric Tinkler has roped in two former Bafana Bafana internationals to bolster his technical team ahead of the 2020-21 Premier Soccer League season.

Delron Buckley has joined the KwaZulu-Natal side as an assistant coach, while Rowen Fernandez will act as goalkeeper coach.

"We would like to welcome Rowen and Delron to our club and to Pietermaritzburg. As players they both enjoyed immense experience, having played in Europe and for the senior national team, Bafana Bafana,” Maritzburg chairman Farook Kadodia said.

“As ambitious and energetic up-and-coming coaches, we are confident that their experience and coaching ability will be a big asset to our club. The two appointments were made in consultation with head coach Eric Tinkler and we expect that they will slot in seamlessly into our technical team."

Former winger Buckley played 73 matches for South Africa, putting him joint-seventh on the all-time lost for Bafana, and also had an excellent career in the German Bundesliga with the likes of Borussia Dortmund and VfL Bochum.

Buckley played for South Africa at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, but missed out on 2010 despite paying his last international in 2012.

He finished his playing career at Maritzburg in the 2013/14 season.

Ex-keeper Fernandez won 23 caps between 2004 and 2009, and also played in Germany with Arminia Bielefeld, as well as BidVest Wits and Kaizer Chiefs locally.

He spent two years as goalkeeper coach at Orlando Pirates, including when Tinkler was in charge of The Buccaneers.