Clive Barker and Neil Tovey in 2008. (Gallo Images)
- Former Bafana Bafana captain Neil Tovey heaped praise on former national coach Clive Barker, who died on Saturday.
- Barker and Tovey were the respective coach and captain when Bafana won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil.
- Barker remains the only Bafana coach to win a major trophy, having overseen the 2-0 final win against Tunisia at Afcon 1996.
Former Bafana Bafana Africa Cup of Nations-winning captain Neil Tovey says that Clive Barker’s legacy will live on after the 78-year-old football icon died on Saturday.
In March, Barker’s family revealed through a press release that the legendary coach had been diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) which is a degenerative disease. It is a form of progressive dementia that leads to a decline in thinking and independent function. Earlier in 2023, Barker was treated for an aneurysm which was affecting blood flow to his heart. He seemed to be on the mend but ultimately succumbed to the illness.
READ | SAFA boss Jordaan pays tribute to Clive Barker: ‘He signalled the take-off of Bafana Bafana’
When Tovey spoke to News24 a few weeks back, there were growing concerns around Barker’s health and, at the time, the former-skipper said: “I have been in touch with the family but Clive hasn’t been able to communicate recently. However, he remained positive about everything and drawing an analogy, even when faced with the most difficult playing conditions in Africa, he wouldn’t care about it.”
Tovey and Barker had a storied history together, first as player and coach, then captain and coach and later as assistant and head coach when Tovey joined his mentor at AmaZulu in 2008. The pair dovetailed well and the following season Tovey became head coach, while Barker moved into the role of director of coaching and development.
“I first met Clive at Durban Juventus when I was still only a youngster and just after that when I played for the amateur team, we won the league,” recalled Tovey, who spoke to News24 prior to Barker’s passing.
“So even from that stage, Clive was winning as a coach and everything he touched turned to gold. For him to win back-to-back league titles in the early 1980s with Durban City was phenomenal and he almost did it three times in a row,” said Tovey, who watched on as Barker ascended to the national coaching post after a knee injury ended the latter’s professional playing career in 1969.
Barker remains the only Bafana Bafana coach to win a major trophy, having overseen the 2-0 final win against Tunisia at Afcon 1996. He was poised to take the national team to their maiden FIFA World Cup in 1998 but resigned as head coach in 1997 following a substandard showing by Bafana Bafana at the Confederations Cup. Tovey believes that falling on his sword would be one of Barker’s greatest regrets over his coaching career.
Not keeping hold of Clive was SAFA’s biggest mistake
“The biggest mistake SAFA made was not retaining Clive as head coach for the 1998 World Cup,” said Tovey, who was also exiled from the Bafana Bafana set-up. “Had we had the continuity we would definitely have done far better in France. I’m not talking from my own playing perspective but Clive might have taken me from a coaching point of view. I maintain that there was still room for myself and Clive at the 1998 World Cup.”
As it were, Frenchman Philippe Troussier was appointed and led Bafana Bafana to the showpiece event. Bafana failed to get out of the group stages with draws against Denmark and Saudi Arabia and a heavy 3-0 loss to hosts France, who topped the table.
Barker dreamed of coaching the mighty Amakhosi
Before his ignominious exit, Barker led Bafana Bafana from 1994 to 1997. He was adored by South African football fans and Tovey reveals that at one stage Barker came close to coaching Kaizer Chiefs. Tovey says that Barker had regrets about not taking the Kaizer Chiefs job at one stage because he would have loved to have led Amakhosi.
Regrets aside, Barker’s coaching career spanned more than four decades. He mentored various teams including AmaZulu, Manning Rangers, Durban City, Santos, Wits and his last post was with Maritzburg United in 2016. He also famously led Durban City to consecutive titles in 1982 and 1983 and Durban Bush Bucks to honours in 1985.
Barker’s game style endeared him to supporters
“Clive was a character for the football fans, who knew him as ‘The Dog’ Barker, but obviously he was a winning coach and all fans love winning,” said Tovey, who vacated his role as SAFA technical director in 2020, having served in the position for five years.
“The way we played football also endeared Clive to the supporters. His teams were full of goals and you just had to look at the stadiums we played in at the time and see how full they were. The supporters could relate to Clive and he did the same for a long time.”
In terms of the current national team, Tovey says that AFCON qualification is the first step on the journey of a thousand miles. Hugo Broos’ side secured safe passage to AFCON 2024 in the Ivory Coast after defeating Liberia 2-1 in an away match in March.
Bafana must improve ranking to make job easier
“Qualification to major tournaments is always the first step,” said Tovey. “If you start progressing and doing well in Afcon then your World Cup draws become easier because of the seeding… We must get our rankings up in order to make the job easier.”
In terms of rekindling the spirit of 1996 when it comes to the national team, Tovey said that the aspect supporters need to understand is that it’s not necessarily about how to make an individual player better because that is done at club level. He stresses that national teams are about “bringing the players together to play to their individual ultimate best and then collectively for the team.”
He said that for Barker, “It was not about trying to teach Doctor Khumalo how to trap a ball at that level because that was long gone. It was how Clive was going to use Doc to do what he did best for the team.”
In 2017, Barker and the Bafana Bafana players of Afcon 1996 were inducted into the Samsung Hall of Fame at a ceremony at Sun City. And, until the current team secures a trophy, Barker and his boys will remain the point of reference for South African football.
The Barker family will provide details of the memorial service in the forthcoming days.
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