WATCH | Legends, family, fans pay respects at Clive Barker's memorial

Police stood at attention, family filed in solemnly, and ex-footballers, media and fellow coaches who have been part of Clive Barker's career observed as the former Bafana Bafana coach's provincial memorial at Olive Convention Centre in Durban began on Thursday morning.

MC Robert Marawa oversaw the beginning of proceedings as Barker's memorial began in the city of his birth and where he spent most of his life.

Barker, who steered Bafana to the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations title on home soil, died in a Durban hospital aged 78 on Saturday.

In a coaching career that spanned five decades, he had his greatest successes coaching Durban clubs. He took Durban City to back-to-back National Professional Soccer League titles in 1982 and 1983, Durban Bush Bucks to the National Soccer League title in 1985 and won the 1992 Coca-Cola Cup with AmaZulu.

Barker had the best win record of any coach who led Bafana. He took them from no-hopers when he took the reins in 1994, the babes in the wood on the international stage demoralised after several heavy defeats on South Africa's return to international football in 1992, to African Champions in 1996.

Barker led Bafana to their first World Cup qualification for the tournament in France in 1998, but did not get to lead the team at the finals after he was fired by the South African Football Association in January 1998.