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Johannesburg - Pitso Mosimane has lambasted reports suggesting he was poised to axe long-time Bafana Bafana captain Aaron Mokoena - and, in the process, the new South African soccer coach made it known he wants to form closer and more credible links with the media.
"Journalists are entitled to their opinions," said Mosimane, "but when it comes to getting your facts back-to-front then, it is not only frustrating, but downright damaging."
Mosimane was referring to a report which suggested while in his role as assistant Bafana coach to Ted Dumitru some six years ago, he had been a party to depriving Mokoena, who recently became the first South African soccer player to be capped 100 times for his country, of the captaincy of the national team.
"It's the coach who makes that type of decision," said Mosimane, "and I wasn't the coach."
And the recently-appointed Bafana coach pointed out, immediately after his appointment as interim coach following the firing of Dumitru after a disastrous African Nations Cup campaign in Egypt, he had reinstated Mokoena as the Bafana captain.
"Does this sound like someone who would have sacked him in the first place?," asked Mosimane.
"Closer contact with the media could avoid this kind incorrect information."
Mosimane is now planning "a media indaba" in which both sides can air their views on forming a rapport which will be mutually beneficial.
"Make no mistake," he said, "I'm not trying to curb criticism. Objective criticism is a right of the journalistic profession. I'm only trying to get the facts straight."
