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Bafana's problems
Feb. 7th, 2006 09:29 am"Don't blame the players"
Looking past all the blood-letting and wrist-slashing and critics that trot out all the old clichés, several key issues emerge around the way that Bafana Bafana are exposed to ridicule and abuse.
Those who describe the players as greedy brats, shameful mercenaries and unpatriotic failures have missed the point. It is human nature that anyone, including footballers, will attempt to milk any system regarded as highly suspect.
You basically push for all you can get because there is no certainty that there will be a tomorrow. If there is to be a tomorrow for South African soccer, the game's suspect administration must take a cue from rugby and cricket and accord real value to the Bafana Bafana brand.
It cannot simply rely on the bigger clubs and an age-group system that is leaking players as the sole means of preparing a decent national team.
( The rest )
Looking past all the blood-letting and wrist-slashing and critics that trot out all the old clichés, several key issues emerge around the way that Bafana Bafana are exposed to ridicule and abuse.
Those who describe the players as greedy brats, shameful mercenaries and unpatriotic failures have missed the point. It is human nature that anyone, including footballers, will attempt to milk any system regarded as highly suspect.
You basically push for all you can get because there is no certainty that there will be a tomorrow. If there is to be a tomorrow for South African soccer, the game's suspect administration must take a cue from rugby and cricket and accord real value to the Bafana Bafana brand.
It cannot simply rely on the bigger clubs and an age-group system that is leaking players as the sole means of preparing a decent national team.
( The rest )
