Coaching Career
Igesund is a record-breaking coach in South Africa, having become the only man to coach four different top-flight teams to the Premier Soccer League championship. He first made his name when he led unfashionable coastal team Manning Rangers to the inaugural PSL title in the 1996/97 season. He followed this up in the 2000/01 season with another title, this time at the helm of Soweto giants Orlando Pirates. Despite his success with the Buccaneers, Igesund was not popular with the Pirates faithful, who demanded a more attacking and entertaining brand of football than the efficient and controlled game that Igesund had fostered, leading to his departure.
He proved his critics wrong the very next season, taking another unfashionable team, Cape Town’s Santos, to a surprise PSL title in 2001/02. But the nomadic Igesund was soon changing his allegiance again, this time moving to Ajax Cape Town, the satellite club of Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam. Igesund’s time with Ajax proved rather unsuccessful and he left the team at the end of the 2005/06 season. He replaced Sundowns’ co-coaches Miguel Gamondi and Neil Tovey. Igesund added to his record number of PSL titles leading Sundowns to a comfortable PSL win in 2007.
Igesund took over head coach of Moroka Swallows in November 2010. He took Swallows to second place in the 2011/12 season and received the PSL Coach of the Season for the second time.
On 30 June 2012, Igesund was appointed as the South Africa national team coach on a two-year deal.
Read more about this topic: Gordon Igesund
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