Bafana set for overhaul
Heads will roll after another defeat rocks national team
WRONG CHOICE: Stuart Baxter say he’s have played a young team. HILE coach Gordon Igesund’s job might be safe for at least the next month, it seems many of the current generation of Bafana Bafana players could be on their way out of the national team.
South African Football Association (Safa) president Danny Jordaan said yesterday that there will be a comprehensive review of Bafana’s early exit from the African Nations Championship (CHAN) after their 3-1 loss against Nigeria at Cape Town Stadium on Sunday night.
Reading between the lines, it seems that there are definitely going to be casualties following yet another early exit from a tournament on home soil.
Igesund is set to find out his fate next month, while some of the senior players could make way for a younger generation of players – with an eye on the 2018 World Cup in Russia – as early as March when Bafana face Brazil in a friendly match in Johannesburg.
“There will be a comprehensive review,” Jordaan said at a press briefing that was initially supposed to be about galvanising support and getting people to the stadiums during CHAN.
“The national executive committee will meet early February. In the next month or so, we have to have a review of how we put the team on the field. These are the questions the national executive committee of Safa will probe. It’s not just a substitution process, it’s actually a new plan.”
Jordaan was visibly upset yesterday, speeding out of the press briefing that was dominated by a tirade towards the national team players by the Minister of Sport and Recreation Fikile Mbalula.
“Mabida magic would not have worked, because this is a generation of a special calibre (of players) that should be forgotten,” Mbalula told a packed conference room at the hotel where Bafana checked out moments
WMOENEEB JOSEPHS says the lack of development after Bafana Bafana’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph in 1996 is the reason for the current generation’s struggles in the international arena.
Josephs conceded a penalty after spilling a straightforward save in Bafana’s 3-1 defeat to Nigeria on Sunday night, which saw the home side crash out of the African Nations Championship at the first hurdle. STUART Baxter says he would have used younger players in the African Nations Championship (CHAN) if he were Bafana Bafana coach, rather than attempt to win it with seasoned players.
The Kaizer Chiefs coach, who was at Bafana’s helm between 2004 and 2005, said yesterday South Africa missed an ideal opportunity to hone new talent for a national team which again bowed out at the first hurdle of an international tournament on Sunday following their loss earlier yesterday.
“We must look forward. That is what Brazil have done. They forgot Kaka, and forgot everybody. Now they have a new generation. Why do you want to praise people that are not going to give us the results?
“We need a new generation and we need young people who will honour the country and walk in the footsteps of the greatest of the greatest that have been produced in football.”
The current crop of Bafana stars haven’t won anything significant since the spate of international football tournaments held on home soil since the Confederations Cup in 2009. South Africa have also failed to qualify for the 2010 and 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, as well as this year’s World Cup in Brazil.
“We as footballers can only do our best, and unfortunately we have sometimes come up short. We are a nation that is results driven, and after the 1996 Cup of Nations to Nigeria.
“I’m not going to tell (Bafana coach) Gordon (Igesund) what to do, or how to approach things,” Baxter said. “But if I were still national coach, I would have approached the CHAN as a developmental tournament, a platform to throw in a bunch of kids there and give them experience.”
While the likes of Nigeria and Uganda picked teenagers in their side, Bafana went into the tournament with several players in their late 20s or early 30s, the youngest player being Sibusiso Vilakazi, 24.
Jordaan, who fought for Igesund to have the strongest available squad for the tournament, hinted that it was time to overhaul the Bafana team after the continued failures of the current crop of players.
In the space a year the national team couldn’t make it past the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil, they failed to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil and were knocked out at the group stages of people were always going to expect the national team to be up there competing,” Josephs said.
“I think there maybe wasn’t sufficient planning afterwards, and I personally feel that there wasn’t sufficient development. Now we as a next generation are always going to struggle to live up to that standard.
“But one day I’m sure that things are going to change for us, and it’s going to change for the good. We are just going through a rough period, and yes people are
Baxter maintained this was not the right approach, albeit he didn’t necessarily lay the blame at Igesund’s door. “I think he (Igesund) was told to select the best team with the view of winning the CHAN. The hierarchy advising him should have said, ‘your head is not on the block for this one … go out there and develop players’. I think everyone – the media and fans – would have bought into that.
“But instead there was this talk about winning it, about moving up the Fifa rankings and so on. In the bigger scheme of things, how do those rankings CHAN. The last time Bafana qualified for a tournament outside South Africa’s borders was for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana.
“The talent in this country is there, it’s just the structures of support and uplifting their technical ability (that’s the problem),” said Jordaan, while hinting that the coach should stop using the excuse that West African teams beat Bafana because they are bigger.
“There’s no way we are going to going to say all these negative things, but as a football team we need to stay together because we have own path to carve out.”
Coach Gordon Igesund has come under plenty of pressure after Bafana’s premature exit. The coach went on the defensive during the post-match press conference following the loss to Nigeria, and said he wanted to stay on until his contract runs out in June.
Josephs backed the four-time league winner and said that Igesund is indeed the right man to help? We have lost those Fifa points, so what now? But if we had gone there with a bunch of youngsters, perhaps we could be pointing out the positives, saying so and so could be the future for Bafana.”
Baxter added Igesund’s stand-off with Chiefs over the release of players would have been avoided had a decision been made to approach the tournament as a development platform. “The fact is this CHAN created chaos for us, but if you think about it, it was all unnecessary. We could have picked a younger team and gone about say they are stronger, we are weaker, they are tall and we are small. Messi is probably the smallest player in the world. Pele happened to be small, Maradona happened to be small. It shows that the best players in the world can also be the smallest in the world.”
Jordaan added that they are planning to give the national junior teams more international exposure over the next few years so that those teams can qualify for the big international junior tournaments. take Bafana forward.
“You could the see the improvement Gordon has brought to the team. Of course people will be calling for his head, but if you want to judge him, judge him on his record with the national team,” Josephs said.
“It’s been nothing short of remarkable from where Bafana have been to where we are now. The results that he got against the likes of Spain is what we must build on. Not anybody can go out and beat Spain. “Gordon, I think, is the the PSL programme. Everyone would be happy.
“The tournament would also have elicited a greater interest than it is doing now. Now you’ve had clubs alienated because there was a problem releasing the players. But did we get what we wanted from this tournament? No,” the Briton said.
He maintained, however, that merely sacking Igesund would not provide solution to Bafana’s problems. “If you wind the clock back to (former Bafana coach) Carlos Queiroz, he said before he left in 2002 that Bafana’s problem is development and talent
“We have to start all over again and build. Our Under-17s and Under-20s must play international football against quality opponents and qualify for the big tournaments,” he said.
“We have a good base, because we have some incredible talent in this country. It’s just about putting the structures in place to nurture and support them. So we must walk this path together, Safa and the government.” most tactically South Africa.”
The Wits goalkeeper was coy about his own future on the international area after he was responsible for Nigeria second goal on Sunday night. It was Josephs’ first start for Bafana since September 2012.
“My future is not for me to decide, because I must get back to my team now and work hard for the remainder of the season. There is a big period to come for us now,” he said. identification. I said that myself and just about every coach has said it. The result (against Nigeria) showed shortcomings of this country.
“We have to start digging deeper. If we had beaten Nigeria, would it mean Bafana are a powerhouse? No. You have to win tournaments with the junior sides, then the senior team will improve.”
Baxter said he understood emotions would run high after Sunday’s chaotic 3-1 loss to the Super Eagles, “but I won’t comment on what should happen. It’s really up to Safa”. KAIZER CHIEFS are fretting over the fitness of captain and goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune ahead of Thursday’s crunch Absa Premiership tie at Mamelodi Sundowns.
Khune didn’t feature for Bafana Bafana in their chaotic African Nations Championship loss to Nigeria on Sunday and, by yesterday, Amakhosi had still not received a full report from national team officials about the extent of his injury.
“We are in the dark,” said Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter about Khune’s supposed injury. “I spoke to Gordon (Igesund) and he said it was a slight injury … nothing to worry about.
“That was on Friday. But then I was surprised he was written off for the game (against Nigeria). Our doctors got hold of (Bafana) doctors, but we have received nothing to support the diagnosis. No scans, nothing.”
More confusion reigned when Baxter said he had spoken to Khune, who told him the injury “was not bad”, and the goalkeeper had also apparently declared himself fit.
Whatever the case, Baxter is still unhappy that his programme had to be interrupted by the CHAN, with Khune, Bernard Parker, Tefu Mashamaite and Siphiwe Tshabalala all now set to rejoin Chiefs today ahead of Thursday’s top-of-the-table clash (Loftus Versfeld, kick-off 7.30pm).
“In my years as a coach I have never experienced as much disruption as I have this season.
“It’s been almost impossible to plan, an absolute nightmare in terms of cancelled games and matches involving the national team. As a result, we face 17 games in two months, and in between there’s that international game between Bafana and Brazil (on March 5).
“Now I have four players in tournament mode coming back into the team.
“They are our players and yes, they are available for Thursday. But we have to check if they are mentally and physically fit.”
Baxter is almost certain to hand a debut to midfielder George Maluleka, recruited during this transfer window from SuperSport United.
“I’m not going to give you my team, but when you sign a player, you sign him with the view that he will play. George has done well since he came here. He has certainly put himself up for selection. I’m pleased to work with him.”
Chiefs were still awaiting word from Sundowns about Katlego Mphela, the striker who signed a precontract with them but has six months remaining on his current deal with the Brazilians.
“We wrote them a letter informing them that we have concluded an agreement with Mphela, but we haven’t had any response,” said Chiefs team manager Bobby Motaung.
Amakhosi had also expressed interest in signing Edward Manqele, but again, Motaung said Sundowns had yet to respond to their query about the striker, who is on loan at Moroka Swallows.
If Sundowns refuse to release Mphela, Chiefs will be a striker short for the remainder of the season given that Lehlohonolo Majoro has opted to join Orlando Pirates, although Motaung insisted he’s still waiting for official contact.
“I saw Majoro on TV (in Pirates and SuperSport).
“But I have not had any official approach from Pirates for his services. There has been informal confirmation from them that he’s signed a pre-contract with them, but we will wait for a letter because we are professional.”
Meanwhile, both Baxter and Motaung seemed to have a go at the CHAN, with the latter in particular scathing. “I will be honest ... I have not watched even one match,” Motaung said.
Baxter stated he had tried his best to watch all the games, “but I was disappointed with the level of football. It’s been at times very poor, It has not caught fire and it’s really been a challenge to make it sound exciting”.