Ntseki may well be an inspired choice
Molefi Ntseki’s appointment as permanent Bafana Bafana head coach has certainly stirred up debate, but before we even begin to unpick the merits of his selection, it is important to start with recognition of the fact that the South African Football Association appear to have little to no money to work with.
Ever since Safa president Danny Jordaan boasted that cash was no obstacle in a search for the new Bafana coach after the sacking of Shakes Mashaba, only for money to clearly be an obstacle in the hiring of Herve Renard, the association have given the impression of being
really strapped for cash.
Stuart Baxter was hired, and he would certainly have not come cheap, but the fact that Safa were happy to carry on with him after the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt spoke more of a desire from Safa not to have to pay Baxter out, if Jordaan’s attitude towards his head coach was anything to go by. Baxter’s resignation, indeed, without a payout (That’s what Baxter said, anyway), played into Safa’s hands in the sense that they could now look at hiring a coach at a lesser expense than even the Scottish former Kaizer Chiefs and SuperSport United mentor.
A task team was hired, but it now seems as if this was simply to pay lip service to headhunting anyone from the outside, even a top-class top-flight head coach like Pitso Mosimane and Gavin Hunt, who in all likelihood, would also have fallen outside Safa’s price range.
This is an association whose president Jordaan is constantly begging for sponsors to come in to help with women’s football in this country, just as an example.
We are living in tough economic times, and football is feeling the brunt as much as any industry. The national broadcaster, the South African Broacasting Corporation, has had to turn to government for help in showing Premier Soccer League matches. Absa Premiership clubs like Bloemfontein Celtic are in serious debt and in danger of selling up. Even a so-called moneyed club like Bidvest Wits has had to cut costs and lay off staff.
None of this, meanwhile, is Ntseki’s fault, or detracts from the fact he is a capable coach who might just be a very good leader for Bafana Bafana. He has certainly fought his way up through South Africa’s age-group teams, and was trusted enough by Baxter to be his assistant at the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
Ntseki has never been a head coach at club level, a decent weapon for any of his critics. One can point to international coaches who have done well with little club success, though even England’s Gareth Southgate and Germany’s Joachim Loew did at least coach at club level before they took up jobs with England and Germany respectively. He does come across well, however. He has shown his own mind too, in bringing Arthur Zwane and Trott Moloto onto his technical staff, and even in some of his player selections.
Whatever one’s personal opinion of Ntseki, he must certainly be given time to show what he can do, and must also be viewed in the context of a situation where the Bafana head coach is clearly not the main problem with Bafana, given the long run of disappointing results for the senior national team, and the amount of head coaches that have been at the helm, in particular since the turn of the century. The problems in South African football are far deeper than this.
All that remains is for me to remind you to take part in this month’s Phakaaathi Player of the Month competition, by turning to Page 10, and then following the rules in the advert on Page 9 for a chance to win R350 in airtime.