No safe landing as Safa keep ‘going in circles’
Icouldn’t help but wonder if Luther Vandross had the South African Football Association (Safa) in mind when he released his 1994 cover of “Going in Circles”.
For those who are not avid Vandross fans, unlike myself, allow me to fill you in on the lyrics.
The opening lines goes: “I’m an ever-rolling wheel without a destination real, and I’m an-ever spinning top, whirling around till I drop.” Doesn’t that perectly describe what Safa are?
For the past million years, or however long it’s been, Safa have been going around in circles, firing and hiring international coaches who I think did not do much to aid or elevate the nation.
Now they went and got a 69-year-old Hugo Broos. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not being ageist, but heck, what on earth are we doing bring in an old man and giving him a five-year contract?
And still, after Safa failed to deliver on what was meant to be a glorious Vision 2020, we’re still being assured a safe landing in the promised land.
Why can’t we mirror what the Germans did? Remember how they invested and supported Joachim Low back in 2006 and he went on to build a formidable German side that ended up winning their first World Cup title since unification.
By the way, Low is still at the helm 15 years later. Unfortunately Safa does not have that kind of patience and are always looking for a quick fix which usually ends in disaster.
Imagine how the national team would have turned out had Pitso Mosimane been given that level of patience and support from the time he was appointed after the 2010 Fifa World Cup?
His success speaks for itself at Mamelodi Sundowns, where he turned the Chloorkop-based side into a well-oiled machine and transformed them into the dominant force that we know them to be today.
Sure, you can argue that club football is different from the international game, but that’s really just an excuse in my book.
Look at Spanish-born Vincente Del Bosque, he was roped in as the head coach of Spain in 2006 and went on to guide that nation to the 2012 Uefa European Championship after also winning Spain’s first World Cup title here in Johannesburg in 2010.
At this point, I don’t see Bafana improving under Broos because we’ve got plenty local – and capable – coaches who can grab the bull by the horns and turn things around.
There wasn’t much wrong with Gordon Igesund or Shakes Mashaba, they just weren’t given enough time, I believe.
It is ridiculous that former head coach Molefi Ntseki was mandated to qualify for next year’s Afcon but Broos is not necessarily expected to take the side to the 2022 Fifa World Cup, rather the target is the 2026 edition – what a joke Safa.
One misses the days when Bafana were a powerhouse on the continent.
Who can forget the class of 1996 that won the country’s only Afcon and made the final in 1998, losing to Egypt, and finished 3rd in 2000.
Yes, you may look at it as a decline in the performance in those three editions, but the point I’m driving at is that we were always up there with the best nations on the continent. That, as we sadly know, is a thing of the past.
Nonetheless, we shall remain prisoners of hope and can only hope that Broos will improve the side and give us something to cheer about, easing the pain that has been inflicted on the nation over the years.