Top French coach Roger Lemerre has applied for the South African coach`s job, the South African Football Association said.
Football Association officials said 29 applicants had been received with Lemerre and compatriots Henri Michel and Pierre Lechantre among the leading candidates.
South Africa fired Ephraim `Shakes` Mashaba last January after accusing him of souring relations with key Europe-based players like defender Mark Fish, midfielder Quinton Fortune and striker Benni McCarthy.
None of the stars featured in the African Nations Cup and Bafana Bafana were eliminated after the first round in Tunisia while the Lemerre-led hosts won the biennial tournament for the first time.
Success with Tunisia completed a unique continental double for the Lemerre who guided his country to glory at Euro 2000 through a golden-goal triumph over Italy in the Netherlands.
Lemerre assisted Aime Jacquet when France won the 1998 World Cup on home soil and took over as head coach only to be fired after a disastrous defence two
years ago in the Far East ended in a first round exit.
His contract with Tunisia expired last Monday, but national football federation president Hamoud Ben Ammar told the local media he was confident Lemerre would renew his relationship with the Carthage Eagles.
Michel was coach of France when they finished third at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, has been in charge of Cameroon, Morocco and Tunisia, and guided Raja Casablanca to the African Football Confederation Cup club title last year.
Lechantre coached Cameroon to the 2000 Nations Cup title in Nigeria before moving to the more lucrative Middle East market.
Englishmen Roy Hodgson and Howard Wilkinson also applied, but ex-Tottenham manager Glenn Hoddle did not despite London media reports linking him to the position.
Former Olympic team assistant Kenny Ndlazi was the sole local applicant for a post that will be filled by May 1. The committee tasked with finding a coach includes 1966 England World Cup-winning squad member Terry Paine.
