Druza Manyane, Gugulethu
For Bafana Bafana to perform, we need to overhaul the approach of top management. It cannot be correct to keep blaming coaches for poor performance.
The office of Danny Jordaan has never taken blame, no one from that office has been fired or recalled for Bafana non-performance. It’s concerning that these are the people involved in selecting the coach. But when there is a failure, no one is available to account.
Another concern is the issue of selecting players. Is it only those who play in the Premier League that are eligible to be called? We have players who can score goals from all over Africa and who have been top players in their respective leagues. What is wrong with calling them?
In all the so-called big teams in the PSL, the likes of Pirates, Chiefs and Sundowns, all have foreign strikers and goalkeepers – they even contest for player of the season.
Secondly, we have mostly foreign coaches who are making their mark in our own league.
Thirdly, our own South African players play abroad; their performance is not as vigorous when they play here, for obvious reasons: they are afraid to get injured and jeopardise their careers.
Fourth, how long must we sing the chorus of school development, youth development and township soccer?
We humbly request an inclusive approach for all South African coaches to brainstorm around the choice of national coach. We can have a head who is local and a foreigner to assist him. Let us have live open interviews for the appointment of national coach – public approval would then be possible.
We must also move away from the two weeks’ preparation of assembling the team and expect a miracle to happen.