Maqonda Ndlovu

Former Brave Warriors coach Ricardo Mannetti paid tribute to late former Bafana Bafana coach Clive Barker who passed away on Saturday morning after a long battle with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) at the age of 78.

Speaking to New Era, Mannetti said Barker played a huge role following his fall out with Santos Football Club management just after the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

“I had trials that went wrong at Sheffield United and Manchester City. I did not play the 1999/20 season even though I had a contract with them I felt they (Santos) had not dealt with my trial issue properly. I was hot-headed at that time and decided to stop playing for the team. I came home straight from England,” Mannetti narrated.

He said Barker who at the time was coaching the club, was instrumental in convincing Santos and him to smoke the peace pipe.

Mannetti said the late coach negotiated for him to go and play for Evandale, a Cape Town Club that was in the first division, intending to bring Mannetti back to Santos the following season.

“He was a top motivator; he could sell ice to an Eskimo…he could sell Namib sand to me that comes from Namibia. Everyone will tell you he was a great coach. He convinced me to go back to Santos, even though he left that season. We won the league after he left,” he said.

Mannetti explained that he got another chance to work with Barker in 2005 when he played for Bush Bucks.

“If it was not for him, I do not think I would have ever played for Santos again. He got me to play football again. He coached each player according to their strengths without trying to change them. He was a people person. Even after a defeat, he would always be the same person,” Mannetti recounted.

Barker’s family confirmed his death in a statement on Saturday morning.

In January, Barker was admitted to a Durban hospital where he was treated for an aneurysm, which affected blood flowing from his heart.

In a coaching career that spanned 42 years, Barker coached teams such as AmaZulu, Manning Rangers, Durban City, Durban Bush Bucks, Santos Cape Town, Wits and, as his last assignment, Maritzburg United, which came to an end in 2016.

He led Durban City to two back-to-back league titles in 1982 and 1983 and the Durban Bush Bucks to the honours in 1985. jrnmarko@gmail.com