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South African coach Malibongwe Maketa has joined Bangladesh’s coaching staff as the national team’s new assistant coach on a two-year contract.
Maketa has already joined the team in the United Arab Emirates and will begin his Bangladesh stint with the one-off Test against Afghanistan, starting on October 9.
His contract runs from October 2026 to November 2028. He replaces Mohammad Salahuddin, who has taken charge of the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s High Performance Unit.
Maketa’s appointment is also seen as part of Bangladesh’s preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, with most matches scheduled in South Africa. The Bangladesh Cricket Board was looking for a coach with extensive experience of working in South Africa, and Maketa fits that profile.
The 46-year-old has more than two decades of coaching experience. He served as an assistant coach of the South Africa national team from 2017 to 2019 and was part of the Proteas’ coaching staff at the 2019 ODI World Cup.
He has also worked as head coach of South Africa A, the national Under-19 team and the national academy.
Maketa joined the Bangladesh team on his birthday, making the occasion particularly special for him.
“It’s really exciting. When I got the opportunity, I was really excited to join the team. I was excited to meet the players and coaches. Now that I’ve met everyone, I hope my journey here will be full of excitement. I’m really excited,” he said.
Reflecting on joining the team on his birthday, Maketa said it marked the beginning of a new chapter in his life.
“Joining the team on my birthday was something special. It’s the beginning of a new chapter in my life. I’ve been coaching for many years, and getting the opportunity to work in a different culture is fantastic. I’m very grateful to the Bangladesh Cricket Board. I’ve been brought in at a time when there are several young players in the team, so it’s a really exciting time to join,” he said.
Maketa was also impressed by his first training session with the Bangladesh team despite the hot conditions in the UAE.
“The first training session was really good. It’s very hot here, but the boys did their job really well. It was inspiring. The batters were given tough challenges and they responded well. Their body language and everything else was impressive. I really enjoyed the first session,” he said.
The one-off Test between Bangladesh and Afghanistan will begin at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on October 9. Bangladesh will then play a tri-nation OD
