South Africa consider Trapattoni, Mancini and Matthaus

South Africa sacked Mashaba at end of last year for gross misconduct, and Gazzetta dello Sport reports Trapattoni and Mancini are being considered by Bafana Bafana, who failed to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

Trapattoni is 77 years old and last coached Republic of Ireland in 2013, but the newspaper believes “age is just a number”.

The veteran, however, is best known for his Scudetti with Inter and Juventus, whom he also won the European Cup with, and managing Italy at the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004.

Mancini is similarly unattached, although his reputation has been tarnished by short spells with Galatasaray and Inter, the former Manchester City boss having left the latter just days before the 2016-17 season began.

The South African Football Association has claimed it was assessing over 60 candidates, Germans Bernd Schuster and Lothar Matthaus also thought to be among them.