Eric Tinkler steered Soweto giants Orlando Pirates to the Caf Confederation Cup final in 2015.
Eric Tinkler (born July 30, 1970) is a South African football coach and former player. He manages the Cape Town-based professional football club Cape Town City.
The coach has over ten years of experience in the South African Premier Division. He has worked as a coach for over sixteen years. Among his achievements was managing Orlando Pirates to the Caf Confederation Cup final in 2015.
Tinkler also played football for national teams, clubs, and international clubs. He started his senior career in 1990 and played his first game with Wits University.
| Eric Tinkler | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Short Profile | |
| Full name: | Eric Tinkler |
| Born: | July 30, 1970 (age 53 years old) |
| Place of birth: | Roodepoort, Gauteng |
| Nationality: | South African |
| Qualifications: | Uefa A license |
| Occupation: | Football coach, former player |
| Current team: | Cape Town City (manager) |
| Height: | 1.86 m |
| Position(s): | Midfielder |
Early Life
Eric Tinkler was born on July 30, 1970, in Roodepoort, a town in Gauteng, South Africa.
Qualifications
Tinkler has a Uefa A license since 2006. He is among the first South African coaches to hold a Uefa license. It was the highest level of qualification a coach could have in 2006.
The coach doesn’t have a Caf A or Uefa Pro license. These are requirements for coaches to perform their duties in Africa’s premier club competition.
Career
Player (1990-2007)
Club
Tinkler played the midfield position as a football player. He joined Wits University in 1990. After playing for a year, he moved to União de Tomar.
In 1992, the former player moved to Vitória and left the Portuguese sports club in 1996. After his exit, he joined the Italian football club Cagliari in the same year.
From 1997 to 2002, Tinkler played for the England-based Barnsley. He moved to Caldas in 2002 and played for the South African football club Bidvest Wits from 2005 to 2007.
On July 1, 1997, his transfer from Italian club Cagliari to English club Barnsley cost a fee of £650,000.
International
From 1994 to 2002, Eric made forty-five appearances for the South African national team. He has a goal to his name. In 1996, Tinkler was among the national squad that lifted the African Cup of Nations trophy.
Coaching
After his official resignation from playing football, Tinkler started to coach football teams. In December 2013, he resumed as the head coach of Orlando Pirates. He continued with the team for the 2015-16 season.
Tinkler left Orlando Pirates for Cape Town City club as head coach on June 17, 2016. He moved to SuperSport United on June 8, 2017. He resigned from the club in March 2018.
In 2018, he moved to Chippa United and later Maritzburg United in January 2019. The coach left the club in November 2020. He returned to Cape Town City on May 24, 2021.
Cape Town City might without coach Eric Tinkler in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League next season. CAF says that coaches must have a CAF A or Uefa Pro licence to sit on the bench in the Champions League and Confederation Cup.
Stats
Football Player
| Year | Team/Club | Appearances | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990–1991 | Wits University | 18 | (0) |
| 1991–1992 | União de Tomar | 34 | (5) |
| 1992-1996 | Vitória | 84 | (2) |
| 1996–1997 | Cagliari | 20 | (0) |
| 1997–2002 | Barnsley | 99 | (9) |
| 2002–2005 | Caldas | 54 | (15) |
| 2005–2007 | Bidvest Wits | 29 | (3) |
| Total | 337 | (34) |
Managerial
| Year | Team/Club |
|---|---|
| 2013–2016 | Orlando Pirates |
| 2016–2017 | Cape Town City |
| 2017–2018 | SuperSport United |
| 2018 | Chippa United |
| 2019–2020 | Maritzburg United |
| 2021– | Cape Town City |