“We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the medical professionals who cared for Clive over the past six months. He fought a brave battle and we are relieved he is now at peace.
“Clive will be remembered by South Africans for his role in helping to bring a nation together around the 1996 Cup of Nations, but for us he was a loving husband, father and grandfather, and he will be dearly missed.
“We have been overwhelmed by the enormous outpouring of love and support for Clive since he was first diagnosed with LBD, and this is a testament to the coach, friend and mentor he was to not only several generations of footballers, but also anyone who crossed his path in the sport he so dearly loved.
“We will provide details of the memorial service in the coming days, and ask the family’s privacy be respected at this very difficult time.”
The captain of the 1996 Bafana team, Neil Tovey, told TimesLIVE Barker’s passing is a tragic loss to South African football.
“You know Clive’s history,” he said. “Every team he touched he turned to gold so it is a tragic time to lose a person of his stature — the only men’s coach to win a Nations Cup.”
Barker's career went back a lot further than just winning the Nations Cup with Bafana.
A promising midfielder for Durban United whose playing career was ended prematurely in 1969 by a knee injury, Barker coached unfashionable Durban City to back-to-back National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) titles in 1982 and 1983 that astonished the South African football hierarchy.
In 1985 he coached one of the finest teams seen in SA football, Durban Bush Bucks, to the NPSL title. He led AmaZulu to the Mainstay Cup final in 1987.
His AmaZulu shocked Kaizer Chiefs 3-1 in the 1992 Coca-Cola Cup final a FNB Stadium, a classic match remembered until today. In 2001 he steered Santos to a BobSave Superbowl triumph, beating Mamelodi Sundowns in the final.
Having begun his professional coaching career at the club AmaZulu in 1974, Barker continued to coach with success into a fifth decade in the 2010s, leading Bidvest Wits to third place in the Premier Soccer League in 2012-2013 and Mpumalanga Black Aces to seventh in 2013-2014.
Known for his inspirational and superb man-management abilities and cultural adaptability, Barker could not have attained his successes if he had not also been a tactically astute coach steeped in the football knowledge gained from a career leading many of the greats of South African football.
TimesLIVE
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Legendary Bafana Bafana coach Clive Barker dies
Image: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
Legendary Former Bafana Bafana coaching legend Clive Barker has died.
Barker coached the Bafana team won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil.
He died in a hospital in Durban on Saturday morning aged 78, having battled illness for several years.
A statement released by Barker's family read: “It is with profound sadness that the family of former Bafana Bafana coach Clive Barker announce his passing on Saturday June 10 after a brave battle with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD).
“Clive, 78, led South Africa to their only continental triumph at the Africa Cup of Nations finals in 1996, and also steered the side to a maiden World Cup appearance in France in 1998, and is fondly remembered by fans across the country, as has been evident by the tremendous support he received after falling ill.
“We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the medical professionals who cared for Clive over the past six months. He fought a brave battle and we are relieved he is now at peace.
“Clive will be remembered by South Africans for his role in helping to bring a nation together around the 1996 Cup of Nations, but for us he was a loving husband, father and grandfather, and he will be dearly missed.
“We have been overwhelmed by the enormous outpouring of love and support for Clive since he was first diagnosed with LBD, and this is a testament to the coach, friend and mentor he was to not only several generations of footballers, but also anyone who crossed his path in the sport he so dearly loved.
“We will provide details of the memorial service in the coming days, and ask the family’s privacy be respected at this very difficult time.”
The captain of the 1996 Bafana team, Neil Tovey, told TimesLIVE Barker’s passing is a tragic loss to South African football.
“You know Clive’s history,” he said. “Every team he touched he turned to gold so it is a tragic time to lose a person of his stature — the only men’s coach to win a Nations Cup.”
Barker's career went back a lot further than just winning the Nations Cup with Bafana.
A promising midfielder for Durban United whose playing career was ended prematurely in 1969 by a knee injury, Barker coached unfashionable Durban City to back-to-back National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) titles in 1982 and 1983 that astonished the South African football hierarchy.
In 1985 he coached one of the finest teams seen in SA football, Durban Bush Bucks, to the NPSL title. He led AmaZulu to the Mainstay Cup final in 1987.
His AmaZulu shocked Kaizer Chiefs 3-1 in the 1992 Coca-Cola Cup final a FNB Stadium, a classic match remembered until today. In 2001 he steered Santos to a BobSave Superbowl triumph, beating Mamelodi Sundowns in the final.
Having begun his professional coaching career at the club AmaZulu in 1974, Barker continued to coach with success into a fifth decade in the 2010s, leading Bidvest Wits to third place in the Premier Soccer League in 2012-2013 and Mpumalanga Black Aces to seventh in 2013-2014.
Known for his inspirational and superb man-management abilities and cultural adaptability, Barker could not have attained his successes if he had not also been a tactically astute coach steeped in the football knowledge gained from a career leading many of the greats of South African football.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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