The time will come to kiss our football goodbye, warns Tsietsi ‘Tsivo’ Letsoela
Technical director Tsietsi 'Tsivo' Letsoela says if the LFA does not pick itself up, it will have to finally kiss the glory days of 'our' football goodbye.
The recently re-appointed technical director of the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association Tsietsi ‘Tsivo’ Letsoela has bemoaned the lack of players from the township in the current Bafana fold.
“This speaks volumes about our development initiatives as an LFA, and I think it’s about time we turn the tide around. We need to up our game if we want to remain relevant and retain our status as one of the top player-producing LFAs in the Safa Johannesburg region.
“The last time we had a player in Bafana Bafana was a few years back when Lebogang Manyama was still actively playing. Back in the years, we had several players from the premier soccer league donning the national colours but all that has come and gone.
“Today, we cannot single out anyone in the current squad that actually came through our ranks and rose to stardom. We need to ask ourselves what has gone wrong and what is it that we are no longer doing right,” said Letsoela in an exclusive interview with Alex News.
Lestoela recalled the glory days when Brian ‘Spiderman’ Baloyi, Lovers Mohlala, Maimane Phiri, Ceasar Maphalla, Brian Mhlongo, Patrick Phungwayo, the late Lucky Maselesele, Mpho Makola, and the list is endless.
Tsivo, as he was popularly known during his playing days and as owner-coach of Moroka Lions which later became Alex Young Lions FC, said the blame falls squarely on the LFA and its current crop of coaches.
“I say this because our coaches no longer take the LFA Monday coaching sessions seriously and most of them do not even bother to attend anymore. How are we going to improve our game if we no longer come together to share ideas?
“These sessions are a critical element for each and every coach worth his salt to attend. I also blame the LFA for not making it compulsory for coaches to attend these sessions. If we don’t take charge of our destiny now and pull our socks up, we can kiss the glory days of our LFA football goodbye,” Letsdoela.
He said he was going to push for the LFA to amend the constitution and ensure that it becomes compulsory for coaches to attend the sessions. “I also want them to play role-modelling on each other’s games so we can share the pool of expertise and learn from each other.
“The other element is upping the stakes to becoming coaches by setting a standard entry qualification and also drilling our coaches on continuous learning to improve the standard of the game,” Letsoela added.
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