Baxter, Vlad V ready to play ball with Mashaba

New Bafana Bafana coach Ephraim "Shakes" Mashaba has received backing from the coaches of two of South Africa's biggest clubs.

Orlando Pirates' Vladimir Vermezovic and Kaizer Chiefs' Stuart Baxter threw their weight behind the new Bafana mentor, promising their full cooperation.

Mashaba was appointed the successor to Gordon Igesund on Saturday, moments before the kickoff of the Carling Black Label Cup match between the Soweto giants at Soccer City. Pirates won 6-5 on penalties after the clash ended goalless at full time.

Vermezovic and Baxter confirmed their backing of the national coach and expressed their excitement at working together with Mashaba in taking South African football to greater heights.

"Our job is to help him to perform and to bring SA football to a place where it deserves to be," Serbian-born Vermezovic said.

"If he needs any help from Orlando Pirates, he will get it for sure."

Having coached the national team before, Chiefs coach Baxter will know the ins and outs of the position and what is required from the clubs for Bafana to succeed.

"If SA football is to move forward, then we the coaches, the clubs, the football association [Safa], the PSL, we all have got to really work together," Baxter said.

"We cannot continue this 'we have all got our own interests and look after our own things' attitude, not wanting to release players, games shifting backwards and forwards.

"We've got to be more together. We have got to absolutely start a production line, have one vision. What will we bring to the world? How will we play? What is good for South Africa? What can we improve on? Once we know all of that then everyone has got to get behind it.

"It can't just be Shakes who takes the stick if we don't give him players, if we don't produce players, if programmes and leagues are not helping the kids develop . Everybody now has to cooperate.

"We all want to help the national team. It will be about cooperation," the Chiefs coach said.

Mashaba is set to bring in his own technical team, while Safa is also on the hunt for a candidate to fill the post of technical director.

Baxter has been linked as the front-runner for the position.