FATHER AND SON:
Matthew Booth on new Bafana boss Mashaba
NO PLAYER in South Africa has spent more time under Shakes Mashaba’s tutelage than Matthew Booth.
Perhaps that qualifies Booth, who played as captain under Mashaba for six years, to run the rule on his mentor’s return to boss Bafana Bafana for the third time.
The recently retired defender, who confesses to be “a house husband because it’s my wife’s turn to earn the bread for the family”, is adamant that Mashaba must whip up a new recipe to revive Bafana’s fortunes.
“He’s got to start from scratch, introduce 60% of new blood in the squad,” argues Booth, who now spends “more time in the kitchen cooking for the boys”, his sons Nathan Katlego and Noah Neo.
Booth believes rebuilding Bafana must include the introduction of a more stringent selection criteria.
“Past coaches have handed out jerseys at the behest of agents because as soon as a
That’s the effect of Shakes. If you’re able to get players to play for you, forget about the tactics, half the job is done
player has a Bafana cap, it increases his value.
“We have to bring back a certain reward to be able to wear the jersey. There’s got to be a bigger value and a higher prize of pride attached to that.
“Shakes knows all about that. He is not one for favours and has no time for braskap . He’s a hard taskmaster, demands the best of everyone and handles everybody equally and fairly.”
These qualities Booth first saw from Mashaba, who turns 64 on Wednesday, when their paths initially crossed in the early years of South Africa’s democracy.
Integration and cohesion were buzzwords for a country seeking to dump apartheid-entrenched racial segregation into the dustbin of history.
“We first met in 1994 at an interprovincial tournament” where Booth was selected for the national team alongside Western Province teammates David Kannemeyer and Benni McCarthy.
Then Mashaba was coach and convenor of selection for the under-20 national team.
Skinny and lanky with a mop of blonde curly hair, Booth stuck out like a sore thumb in the group, a dash of ivory in a sea of ebony.
Mashaba told Booth “not to feel odd about the fact that I was of a different colour to the rest of the boys.
“He sees soccer players, not blacks, coloureds, Indians or whites,” explains Booth.
“He made Nkhiphitheni Matombo my roommate. We were chalk and cheese, from diversely different backgrounds.
“But Shakes insisted on us learning about each other, building trust in one another.
“Above all, he emphasised the importance of never letting our country down. He knows how to build a team.”
They were brothers in arms. Mashaba needed a leader and looked no further when he selected the skipper. “I wasn’t the most skilful of players, he didn’t chose a captain straight away. He waited to see how we interacted with each other. I got on well with all the players despite the fact that we came from different backgrounds
“He gave me a talk about the captaincy and explained what a vital job it was. He had faith in me for my leadership and nothing else.”
In their first regional tournament in Lesotho they lost to Zambia in the final.
In a continental competition they lost in the final in Morocco.
In his heyday, Mashaba was a no-nonsense defender who made a name for himself at Orlando Pirates and Moroka Swallows.
“We were young but we had heard of his stature, of what he had done. Even if you’re from Cape Town and play rugby or cricket, you still know about the history of Orlando Pirates and what Shakes did when he was there.”
What Mashaba did for Bafana was there for all to see: in 19 matches, he won 12, drew five and lost two.
He qualified South Africa for the Afcon 2004 but was first suspended then fired when he refused to allow officials to interfere in his team selection.
Booth has many memories of working with Mashaba. But one incident will always stand out for him.
“Shakes was sent to the stands against New Zealand in our final qualifying match for the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
“We lost our coach in the culmination of a six-year journey we’d travelled together.
“We had a wobbly start but recovered to make it 2-2. In the dying moments, Jabu Pule pulled in a corner, which I headed home for the win. The celebration told a story of a players’ coach.
“Instinctively all of us ran towards Shakes, who was in the crowd in the stands. That will stand out more so than when we beat Brazil.
“That’s the effect of Shakes. He shows the team the way, inspires with his aggression, determination and reaction to what is happening around the squad. If you’re able to get players to play for you, forget about the tactics, half the job is done.”