Jomo Sono calls for urgent measures to address Bafana Bafana’s declining fortunes

Jomo Sono believes a ‘think tank’ of Bafana legends formed around Stuart Baxter can be one of the many answers to Bafana’s declining football fortunes.

In what he called a bid to address the further decline of Bafana Bafana, the legendary player, coach and club owner better known as The Black Prince of South African football, has called on the South African Football Association to ensure Baxter surrounds himself with former soccer legends.

Speaking when he took delivery of a Ford vehicle in Newtown, Johannesburg, as the new Ford brand ambassador, Sono said the legends could play the roles of advisors to help the Bafana coach resuscitate the failing fortunes of the national team.

“We have so many legends of the game that can be drafted into the coach’s fold to advise him and at the same time hold him accountable,” said Sono.

“There is no way we can expect to be a force to be reckoned with in football if we are just going to waste the vast knowledge and talent we have in our former legends. Many views and inputs in this game can go a long way to solving the declining fortunes of Bafana Bafana.

“I believe this is one of the many ways to go if we’re to address the slippery slope on which we find ourselves.”

Sono added that the days of a one-man show were over. “The days of non-accountability have also come to an end. We now need to harness our many talents and pull them in the same direction to salvage this team from further decline. We have the skills and expertise from our legends who are sitting idle with nothing to do.”

Bafana last qualified for the Fifa World Cup two decades ago in 1998, with the exception of 2010 as they automatically qualified by virtue of being the hosts of the tournament. Bafana last qualified for the African Cup of Nation in 2015 in which they performed dismally after failing to qualify a number of times before.

They have also been walloped in small tournaments such as the Cosafa Cup.