At least SA’s youngsters still have a shot at Olympic dream

Can you imagine being someone who had gone through a grueling qualifying campaign and was looking forward to playing for their country against some of the world’s best young talent at the Olympics, only to suddenly not be eligible because the competition, originally for players aged under-23, was delayed by a year?

For David Notoane and his South Africa squad, there is at least now the chance to focus on the year ahead, which actually gives the Under-24s a better chance of doing well at the Olympics, as they already looked a little under-prepared heading into Tokyo 2020, as it once was.

Let’s just hope that by next year the coronavirus pandemic is fully behind us, at least in the sense that live sport is back on the agenda, because the tragic loss of human life will never be forgotten.

At the moment there seems little hope of action, even if South African numbers are encouraging on a global scale.

As Tim Sukazi, the owner of TS Galaxy, put it to me last week, how do you deem it safe to play at around 1 600 cases, when 500 cases was already deemed enough for lockdown?

As such, it is difficult to see when the Premier Soccer League season will end, or when Bafana Bafana will be able to resume their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and start Fifa 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

As Danny Jordaan indicates, it is difficult to see right now how the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon can take place, even if the Confederation of African Football have yet to officially postpone the competition.

I enjoy the Africa Cup of Nations, and would hope to be in Cameroon at the start of next year, for what would be the eighth finals that I have covered as a reporter. But the safety of people has to remain the priority.

I did read a report on the reliable Athletic website yesterday saying that Fifa were set to allow countries to extend their seasons for as long as they need to in order to get them finished.

This would also no doubt have an impact on player availability for the Afcon finals.

It is best to simply postpone it and wait for now.

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