The 50-year-old tactician has decided to address reports linking the Amakhosi technical team member with the national team
Ntseki’s predecessor Stuart Baxter was criticized after he roped in his son for the national team two years ago ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya.
Baxter, who resigned as Bafana head coach after the 2019 Afcon finals, was accused of nepotism for appointing Lee, with regular national team goalkeeper coach Andre Arendse unavailable due to personal reasons.
“People always pick on certain individuals and they will say this one is for Bafana Bafana. It is the same with players,” Ntseki told IOL.
“Remember, I worked with coach Lee when I was with coach Stuart when he joined us in Durban as we prepared for Libya.
“[Goalkeeper] coach Andre was not available and then coach Lee, came in. I worked with him at that time.”
Since Ntseki took over as new Bafana coach Arendse, who also serves SuperSport United goalkeeper coach, has been part of the South Africa technical team.
Ntseki travelled to the Chiefs headquarters in Naturena, Johannesburg ahead of Bafana’s 2021 Afcon qualifiers against Sao Tome and Principe last March, but the matches were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Before the team announcement, we visited Kaizer Chiefs in our club visit programme with Dr Thulani Ngwenya. We watched coach Lee’s training sessions,” he explained.
“In watching coach Lee’s training session, he is somebody that I know, he is somebody that I keep in touch with.
“That time coach Andre Arendse was not available for SuperSport United [his club] for personal reasons and everybody was thinking of me taking coach Lee because Andre was not available then for the Sao Tome and Principe camp.
“Anybody could have come up with the name to say he will be helping me.”
Ntseki dismissed the rumours and indicated that Arendse remains part of his technical team with Bafana set to take part in the 2021 Afcon and 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers when football resumes worldwide.
“I think all this came when I was talking about Itumeleng Khune to say I was at their training session, I saw the attitude, I saw the work ethic of coach Lee and his goalkeepers,” he added.
“People will always make something out of whatever they hear and whatever they see happening.”
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