That's why they appointed us

From South Africa's touchlines to the grand stages of international football, Roger de Sa continues to leave his mark across the globe. Now based in the Middle East, the former Orlando Pirates and Bidvest Wits mentor has reunited with longtime collaborator Carlos Queiroz as assistant coach of the Oman national team. The two football brains have enjoyed a successful partnership for years, having worked together in countries like Egypt, Iran, and Qatar. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers looming large, Oman has turned to the experienced duo to help steer the ship. In this interview with Soccer Laduma's Masebe Qina, De Sa, who is currently in Salalah on a scouting mission, talks about his new role, the challenges of working in different national team environments, and his brief, but eventful stints with Cape Town City and Cape Town Spurs.

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Masebe Qina: Coach, congratulations on your appointment as assistant coach of the Oman national team. How did this opportunity come about?

Roger de Sa: Oh, I don’t know, it’s just... you know, I've worked all over the world, and at the moment, it’s just a phone call away. The word gets around. I got a phone call, it was on a Friday night, and by the weekend things intensified with a few more conversations. By Monday we had a video call and basically by Wednesday I had left the country. So, it all happened pretty quickly from the Oman Federation. Ja, that’s how it came about. When a country wants you and they need you, and they want you to come and help, they find a way to get you there to work for them, and that’s what happened.

MQ: You've had a longstanding working relationship with Carlos Queiroz. What makes the partnership click, and how do your strengths complement each other?

RDS: Yeah, I've had a long working relationship with Carlos, I think this is now the sixth country we've worked together in. I think he relies on me, he trusts me, and he likes the work that I do. It’s gotten better and better over the years. I do the work he requires me to do, and he respects that. It’s been a good working relationship, and so far, so good.

MQ: What’s the mandate for the Oman national team going forward, and how excited are you to contribute to football in that region?

RDS: The mandate for us with the Oman national team right now is qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. That's all we're focused on. We've got some very difficult games coming up we play Qatar and the UAE, both away. We need to get a lot of points from those games. That’s why they appointed us — our first target is qualification. We're not thinking of anything else. We've got three months of work ahead to try and get the team ready for the next World Cup.