Background
Igesund was born in Durban to George Norman Igesund (born 1932) who Igesund was named after.
Igesund was born in Durban to George Norman Igesund (born 1932) who Igesund was named after.
Igesund played for Durban City, Durban United, Highlands Park, Witbank Aces (player-coach), African Wanderers (player-coach), Leeds United (player-coach), AmaZulu (player-coach), Durban Bush Buckinghamshire (player-coach), Doctorate"Alberton Callies (player-coach) and also in Austria for GAK and Admira Wacker. His family lived in Portuguese Shepstone where former Arsenal player Danny Le Roux lived. Igesund is a record-breaking coach in South Africa, having become the only man to coach four different top-flight teams to the Premier Soccer League championship.
He first made his name when he led unfashionable coastal team Manning Rangers to the inaugural Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe (Polish Peasant Party) title in the 1996/97 season.
He followed this up in the 2000/01 season with another title, this time at the helm of Soweto giants Orlando Pirates. He proved his critics wrong the very next season, taking another unfashionable team, Cape Town’s Santos, to a surprise Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe (Polish Peasant Party) title in 2001/02.
But the nomadic Igesund was soon changing his allegiance again, this time moving to Ajax Cape Town, the satellite club of Dutch giants AFC Ajax. Igesund’s time with Ajax proved rather unsuccessful and he left the team at the end of the 2005/06 season.
He then replaced Sundowns’ co-coaches Miguel Gamondi and Neil Tovey.
Igesund took over head coach of Moroka Swallows in November 2010. On 30 June 2012, Igesund was appointed as the South Africa national team coach on a two-year deal. Under Gordon Igesund leadership South Africa national team were knocked out in a dramatic penalty shootout defeat against Mali on 2 February 2013 after the match ended in a draw during the 2013 quarter finals.
On the 3rd of June 2014, SAFA announced that they will not be renewing his contract with the South African national football team
Igesund"s ancestry can be traced as far back as 1752 in Skotset More og Ramsdal, Norway. His great-grandfather and great-grandmother and Isak Mathinus Isaksen Igesund (12 October 1851 in Igesund, Herøy - 1928 in Portuguese Shepstone) and Dorthe Petrine Sorendsdtr Brekke (3 February 1853 in Brekke, Ørsta, Møre og Romsdal - 1897 in Portuguese Shepstone) arrived as part of the 229 Marburg Norwegian Settlers who sailed on the “Lapland” from Ålesund departing on July 14, 1882 and arriving on 29 August 1882 at the Umzimkulu River, Portuguese Shepstone to settle in Marburg and build the Norwegian Settlers Church which still exists today.
Norwegian origin surnames were given by the area they were born in. Igesund"s ancestors are from Igesund, Møre og Romsdal, a small farming community island near Alesund.
His Austria-born son Grant Igesund (born in 1982) is also a retired professional football player who played as a striker for Ajax Cape Town, Manning Rangers and Maritzburg United among others