DURBAN - Father’s Day won’t be the same for the sons of star Bafana Bafana coach Clive “The Dog” Barker.
Barker’s eldest son John said he had been struggling to cope since his father’s death on Saturday last week.
“We will really miss him as a family. He was a great father to Gavin and I and great grandfather to his grandsons. We played cricket, soccer, and swam and spent hours and hours playing sport. The kids will definitely miss him so much,” he said.
He said that having someone to talk to made it easy to cope as Barker always had positive advice.
John said that it would be difficult to celebrate this day in his father’s absence, particularly as the day comes shortly after Barker's funeral.
“We always called him on this day to wish him well. I have been living in Joburg for the last 25 years and Gavin has been in Joburg for the past 25 years as well, so we have not really been with him on Father’s Day but we always phoned him.
“Our mom and dad had a holiday home and it was part of our lives. We would spend birthdays, Christmas, New Year’s and the holidays together, so we always spent a lot of time with my mom and dad even though we lived in different cities,” he said.
John said that he wanted his father to be remembered for being an extraordinary coach and a true patriot.
Soccer legend and former Bafana Bafana squad player Doctor Khumalo, speaking at Barker’s funeral on Thursday, said he was grateful to the late coach.
“This was not just a coach that we bid farewell to. He was a father figure to many soccer players or former players. I just want to say that this man deserved better. We should have acknowledged him while he was still alive,” he said.
A teary-eyed Khumalo thanked Barker for putting smiles on South African faces and for moulding the 1996 soccer team.
“You have made icons in South Africa and have given us an opportunity to play overseas with 90% of the squad of 1996. You were a good husband, father and grandfather and you were like a father to us. I love you Clive and I do not want to say go well but God bless you Clive,” said Khumalo.
Barker, 78, who lived in Durban, was given a provincial funeral held at the Olive Convention Centre. Family members, colleagues in the sporting fraternity and members of the provincial government of KwaZulu-Natal were present.
He died last week in hospital after a long battle with Lewy body dementia.
Barker made his soccer debut at 17 years old before his budding career as a player ended prematurely due to a knee injury.
Subsequent to that, he took on the role of coaching players and solidified his stature in the soccer fraternity by leading the national team to the Africa Cup of Nations victory in 1996, and then qualifications to the country’s first World Cup in France in 1998.
Except for coaching Bafana Bafana, Barker also coached various teams including Durban City, Manning Rangers, AmaZulu, Bush Bucks, Santos (Cape Town), Maritzburg United, Bidvest Wits and Mpumalanga Black Aces.
Barker also received the MEC’s Special Recognition Award during the 2021 KZN Sport Awards which were held by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture.
He is survived by his wife Yvonne, sons John and Gavin and five grandsons.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE