Nasief Morris ventures into HWB Super League with UCT

The Santos legend takes over the reins from back-to-back Sasol League Western Cape-winning coach Ahmed Parker, who explained the reshuffling.

“We had a few strong candidates, but in the end coach Nasief's vision of how he can add value to the team and where he'd like to see them go over the next few years is what made him the preferred candidate for the position,” Parker told SABC Sport.

“Nasief is a qualified coach and, with his experience in the game, brings a lot of credibility and gravitas to the team. Although new to women’s football, we have no doubt he will flourish.”

Following a horrific accident en-route to the Sasol League National Play-offs in Knysna last year, Parker reconsidered his role within the coastal side and decided to step down.

“With the accident, I had to reflect on what it is that is really important to me. Through that process I realised that I want to be where I can make the biggest impact on the lives of the people around me," he added.

"Seeing them improve as players was great, and I'll continue to play a role in that, but seeing them grow as people is more important to me now. 

"I'll be spending my time working on programmes to enhance their life skills, improve their academic support, and improve their own goal-setting and long-term ambitions."

Shaquille Williams remains the assistant coach and Mark Kapman the goalkeeper coach, while former Orlando Pirates strongman Kamal Sait continues in his role as coach educator. The latter led UCT to promotion in Knysna in the absence of Parker.

“Kapman and Nasief have a history of having worked together previously at Ikapa Sporting, and we have no doubt that the synergy between them will help our new coach settle in into his new role,” concluded Parker.

Morris, who recently served as Cape Town Spurs assistant coach alongside Shaun Bartlett, started his playing career with Santos in Cape Town, before signing for Aris Thessaloniki and later Panathinaikos in Greece. 

He has also been on the books of Recreativo de Huelva and Racing Santander in Spain, as well as Apollon Limassol in Cyprus, and ended his career with SuperSport United back home.

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