Tumo Mokone

Bafana Bafana’s first match in 2009 will go ahead with the desired squad, thanks to the national federation (Safa) and the league (PSL)  finally doing the honourable thing: talking.

Bafana host regional arch-rivals Zambia in a so-called practice match in Tshwane next Tuesday night.
 
The solution came after the PSL agreed to postpone two fixtures initially scheduled for Wednesday, January 28 to a later date. The matches would've affected six players Joel Santana had named in his squad. The six players’ clubs had threatened not to release their players, as their league fixtures and the national team’s assignment were just 24 hours apart.

The clubs had a valid argument, more so that the league programme is entering a crucial stage with a heavy bearing on the title race as well as the relegation positions. Had Safa and the PSL done the right thing from the outset, talking, the chaos that accompanied the naming of the national squad on Thursday would have been avoided.

It’s 2009, but the soccer bosses are acting like it is the year 2000. Old habits die hard indeed; clubs openly threaten not to release the players to the national teams, while the national federation and the league accuse each other of insensitivity and mismanagement.

It is very worrisome that in these crucial times in our football, progress is still stifled by such petty issues. Their discussion this week, albeit typically reactionary, revealed to Safa and the PSL that they need to work closely together, and that they need to formulate a strategy to forge this close cooperation. Their old squabbles are boring and counter-productive.

Refused to release players

The mess in local soccer started much earlier in the year, when clubs refused to release players to the national Under-20 team, for the African Youth Championships currently on in Rwanda. It took emotionally-charged discussions before most of the players the junior squad needed to travel to the continental tournament could be released by the clubs.

As if it was a sign from above, on Wednesday the SA Under-20 side became the first team in Rwanda to qualify for the semi-finals, with one more game to play in the first round. An additional sweetener to Amajita’s feat is that they have now qualified for the Under-20 World Cup, and that they beat Nigeria to do so. This makes Serame Letsoaka’s side the first South African soccer national team – at all levels of men’s and women’s football – to beat Nigeria in an official match.

The scorer of the winning goal, George Maluleke, nearly did not make the trip as his club, SuperSport United, had initially refused to release him. This in spite of Maluleke being a youth player at the club, and used as a bench-player by the senior team in very rare occasions.

The huge responsibility Fifa bestowed on us to host the Confederations Cup this year and the 2010 World Cup should have long spurred on the two soccer bodies to act in the best interests of SA football. The focus of the world on us is gaining momentum, and we can ill afford presenting ourselves as clumsily as is the case right now.

Find solutions

In his response to the amicable agreement with Safa in the interests of Bafana, PSL’s chief executive Kjetil Siem expressed a desire for more success.

“This proves that when the PSL and Safa work together, we can find solutions that are in the best interests of South African soccer,” said Siem, a Norwegian. Here's hoping his counterpart in Safa, Raymond Hack, is feeling the same too.  

Meanwhile, after I complained about a lack of quality in the striker department for Bafana Bafana, I must admit I am excited by the names selected. Mabhuti Khenyeza (Ajax CT), Katlego Mashego (Orlando Pirates), Abia Nale (Kaizer Chiefs) and Sithembiso Ngcobo (FS Stars) are form strikers in the PSL right now. It remains to be seen whether they will crack it in the Bafana colours.

Earlier in the article I referred to the SA v Zambia game as “so-called practice match”. My take is that it was unnecessary to dilute stakes in this friendly match because whenever we meet Zambia it must be war, not practice. It must be disappointing to both the players - who are not going to earn caps - and the fans that the significance of this fixture has been reduced.

I guess the fans will be allowed into Atteridgeville’s Super Stadium for free, since this is a mere practice game.

Tumo writes exclusively for Sport24.

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