BidVest Wits have rewarded their hard working head coach Roger de Sa by offering him a three year extension to his current contract.

On Monday De Sa signed the new deal which will keep him at the Milpark based Premier Soccer League outfit until at least 2013.

De Sa had still one year remaining on the three year contract he signed two years ago, but was thrilled to be offered another contract.

"I really felt honoured and elated by this positive move from the club. Especially during a week when three PSL coaches quit or were axed.

"It is not often a club will offer their coach a lengthy new three year contract which means by the time this extension expires, I will have been in charge during this spell for six years," said De Sa.

Mpumalanga Black Aces axed Sammy Troughton, Gordon Igesund resigned as Maritzburg United coach and is now in charge of Free State Stars whose coach Themba Sithole, is now Igesund's assistant.

The reason De Sa appreciates the new long deal is because it means he can plan long term for the club's future. Said De Sa: "My priority is to keep producing youngsters through our academy and from wherever we can attract them.

"It has always been my goal to give promising kids their chance and since I came back to Wits two years ago, I have blooded a lot of youngsters -most of whom have been promoted from our youth academy."

De Sa and his assistant coach Eric Tinkler, now have time to spend developing new gems for Wits and South African soccer.

Tinkler, like De Sa, is a former Bafana Bafana star and is in charge of the youth academy where he works closely with De Sa.

"Eric and I have forged a strong bond and we aim to keep the conveyor belt producing these up and coming youngsters."

Of his proteges, goalkeeper Darren Keet has made the most spectacular rise. At 19 Keet is the first choice keeper at Wits, has played for the South African under-20 side at the recent World Youth Championships in Egypt and was called up to the Bafana squad for the last two friendly matches of the season against Japan and Jamaica this month.

Said De Sa, a former Bafana keeper and national goalkeeping coach: "Keet is only 19. What a future he has ahead of him."

Sibusiso Vilakazi, Patrick Phungwayo and Sifiso Myeni have all blossomed under De Sa, as have former Bucs defender Morton and the club's leading goal scorer, Calvin Kadi, signed last season from champions SuperSport United.

"Morton is only 20 and never got a show at Pirates. But I saw his potential while Kadi is a goal-scoring machine at 22 years. I am looking forward to the next four years to help Wits develop stars for the club and hopefully for Bafana as well.

"I feel privileged to be able to work with a forward thinking club and with a bunch of talented young players who I can develop into top class professionals."

But on Friday night De Sa said it will be back to the business end of the season when they host struggling AmaZulu at Milpark (8pm) in a crunch Absa Premiership clash to begin the second round of the season.

"This is a must win game for us as three points will keep us right up with the leaders, while a defeat will mean we will have to be looking over our shoulders.

"AmaZulu are going through a rough patch, but we badly need to get back onto the winning trail."