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As the much-talked about match between Bafana Bafana and five-time world champions Brazil went on, I couldn’t help it but observe something very serious.
While Brazil coach Luis Scolari and his technical director Carlos Alberto Parreira - who happens to be a former Bafana Bafana coach - looked very confident while frequently having some conversations followed by smiles as wide as the Pacific Ocean, the South African bench told a different story.
There were no conversations between coach Gordon Igesund and his assistant Serame Letsoaka.
Their body language actually did not inspire any confidence. They actually looked like defeated men from the onset.
Gone was the confidence we witnessed in the first encounter played in Sao Paolo late last year. So were Igesund’s touchline theatrics where he shouts orders and throws his hands in the air.
In fact, he looked like a man who has lost interest or run out of ideas. And then to rub it all in, after the game he said: “It wasn’t a bad performance.” Really now?
Why, he even went further to say: “I don’t think the scoreline is a fair reflection of the game, 5-0 is a lot.”
Yeah! Right! A young people would say. A 5-0 defeat is indeed a lot but you are wrong to say it was not a fair reflection of the game.
It was indeed a fair reflection of a match where Bafana Bafana was outplayed, out-thought, outgunned and out anything. I nearly said outclassed but I think it would be an injustice to the Queen’s language to use the word “CLASS” in anything pertaining to Bafana Bafana.
All that came out clear from this match, Igesund is a man who has lost interest and has run out of ideas. It was quite obvious that he no longer cares, all that he is doing, is see out his contract.
This is so unfair from both him and his employers the South African Football Association (SAFA). They should have just terminated his contract once the country failed to qualify for the 2014 Soccer World Cup that will be held in Brail in three months’ time.
By now, we should have started with a rebuilding process and made our Under-23 the main national team and build it towards next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2018 World Cup.
Whoever would have come in after the disastrous failure to qualify would have had a head-start by now.
Actually, I don’t even see the purpose and benefit of the two friendly matches that SAFA has lined up against Australia and Iraq.
One actually runs out of words when trying to say what needs to be done to revive or take out football higher.
All words such as going back to the drawing board, learning curve, rebuilding, development and such, have been used.
As some have pointed out: That drawing board is already full and clattered by now.
All we need is action. We are tired of hearing what the SAFA Development Agency is going to do. Let’s see some action and the time is NOW!
S’Busiso Mseleku is regarded as one of Africa's leading sports journalists and an authority on football. He has received some of the biggest awards in a career spanning well over 20 years. He is currently City Press Sports Editor.
Disclaimer: Sport24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on Sport24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sport24.
While Brazil coach Luis Scolari and his technical director Carlos Alberto Parreira - who happens to be a former Bafana Bafana coach - looked very confident while frequently having some conversations followed by smiles as wide as the Pacific Ocean, the South African bench told a different story.
There were no conversations between coach Gordon Igesund and his assistant Serame Letsoaka.
Their body language actually did not inspire any confidence. They actually looked like defeated men from the onset.
Gone was the confidence we witnessed in the first encounter played in Sao Paolo late last year. So were Igesund’s touchline theatrics where he shouts orders and throws his hands in the air.
In fact, he looked like a man who has lost interest or run out of ideas. And then to rub it all in, after the game he said: “It wasn’t a bad performance.” Really now?
Why, he even went further to say: “I don’t think the scoreline is a fair reflection of the game, 5-0 is a lot.”
Yeah! Right! A young people would say. A 5-0 defeat is indeed a lot but you are wrong to say it was not a fair reflection of the game.
It was indeed a fair reflection of a match where Bafana Bafana was outplayed, out-thought, outgunned and out anything. I nearly said outclassed but I think it would be an injustice to the Queen’s language to use the word “CLASS” in anything pertaining to Bafana Bafana.
All that came out clear from this match, Igesund is a man who has lost interest and has run out of ideas. It was quite obvious that he no longer cares, all that he is doing, is see out his contract.
This is so unfair from both him and his employers the South African Football Association (SAFA). They should have just terminated his contract once the country failed to qualify for the 2014 Soccer World Cup that will be held in Brail in three months’ time.
By now, we should have started with a rebuilding process and made our Under-23 the main national team and build it towards next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2018 World Cup.
Whoever would have come in after the disastrous failure to qualify would have had a head-start by now.
Actually, I don’t even see the purpose and benefit of the two friendly matches that SAFA has lined up against Australia and Iraq.
One actually runs out of words when trying to say what needs to be done to revive or take out football higher.
All words such as going back to the drawing board, learning curve, rebuilding, development and such, have been used.
As some have pointed out: That drawing board is already full and clattered by now.
All we need is action. We are tired of hearing what the SAFA Development Agency is going to do. Let’s see some action and the time is NOW!
S’Busiso Mseleku is regarded as one of Africa's leading sports journalists and an authority on football. He has received some of the biggest awards in a career spanning well over 20 years. He is currently City Press Sports Editor.
Disclaimer: Sport24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on Sport24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sport24.
