So, here is my two cents on the matter:
In November, last year, I sat in the stands at FNB Stadium as a normal South African football fan and witnessed something special.
A Bernard Parker goal sealed the deal against the world champions Spain.
South Africans were thrilled, excited and optimistic.
Our team had done us proud.
Sure, it was a friendly match but it was a win, a win against the best of the best.
Fast-forward to January 2014 and a different scenario has emerged.
Bafana Bafana lost 3-1 to the Super Eagles of Nigeria on Sunday and was subsequently eliminated from another tournament.
Cue the personal and direct onslaught of verbal abuse on Monday morning from the man in charge of sports development in our country, sports minister Fikile Mbalula.
Slating the national players with words like “losers” and “unbearable individuals”.
Perhaps it needed to come from someone, though.
Perhaps our players do need a little kick on the backside, but on a public stage like that?
Not so good.
Sports administrators and SAFA need to stop the talking and take some action.
The team that coach Gordon Igesund fielded was basically a second/third-string side that would be lucky to beat Benoni Northerns.
They were just not good enough and were beaten by a quicker, stronger and tactically superior Nigerian side.
Simple as that.
Again, it goes back to grass-root development.
A number of top government schools and most private schools no longer play “the beautiful game” while poorer schools that do play the sport do not receive the backing to turn raw stones into shining diamonds.
I believe that each club in the PSL should have their own academy structures and make it a point to field a first team that consists of at least 60 per cent academy players in every local league match.
This is what Germany did after the 1998 World Cup and, let’s be honest, most international teams are terrified of playing the Germans now.
So, take a step back, Mr Minister, and take a look at the bigger picture…
We have the potential to be world beaters (we did it against the Spaniards) but it all starts from the bottom.
LG
