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Is South Africa ready to embrace the enormous challenges ahead?When John F. Kennedy announced America’s plans to put the first man on the moon ahead of Russia in the 1960s, he declared: “We choose to go to the moon in this decade not because it is easy, but because it is hard.”
Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira and Leslie Sedibe, chief executive of the South African Football Association (SAFA), have displayed similar positive attributes and remained steadfastly committed to embrace enormous challenges ahead of the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup within the next few months.
Perhaps the challenges are not as daring as the lunar surface.
Yet, some observers maintain that South Africa’s chances of beating two former World Cup winners in Uruguay and France and the giant Mexico during the first round of the global showpiece in June are as slim as an African country putting a man on the moon within the next decade.
Parreira has said that he would be requiring of his players to climb Mount Everest in order to win through to the next round at the World Cup.
He told BBQ: “I used the Mount Everest metaphor at a media conference in Cape Town after the 2010 Fifa World Cup Final Draw. We are drawn in a tough group with two teams that have won the World Cup before (Uruguay and France), and Mexico are also a very good team with a great World Cup pedigree.
“It is obvious that climbing Mount Everest is a very tough assignment, and it takes good preparation both mentally and physically to summit Everest.
“It is the same with South Africa in this World Cup as a host nation, we need good preparation and we can’t afford to take shortcuts. The players must be physically and mentally strong to progress further in the tournament,” he said.
South Africa’s strength is its technique. Bafana Bafana has many technically gifted players, and the training methodology is aimed at assisting the players to maximise their strength, said Parreira.
Warming the bench
Some observers have expressed concern about some overseas-based players rarely getting game time for their clubs. Bernard Parker, Benni McCarthy and Kagiso Dikgacoi spring to mind, and that may impact on the preparation of the SA team.
“I agree,” said Parreira. “Players who don’t get enough game time are negatively affected and they lose match fitness. But we will work on it and we will have them ready come the World Cup.”
Parreira recently returned from a two-week tour of Europe where some of the players are based. He has made contact with the managers of those clubs in an effort to secure their early release from the English Premier League.
Nothing has been signed, sealed and delivered, but he is hopeful.
Training camps in Brazil and Germany
South Africa has decided to have some training camps in Germany and Brazil before the World Cup. Asked why the decision was taken to move the players out of South Africa, Parreira told BBQ it was done because it would be difficult to keep the same players motivated in a similar environment for close to five months.
“Secondly, we have agreed to play a series of training matches with top Brazilian clubs as part of our plan to sharpen our technique.
“The German camp will expose our players to a different playing style, and it will afford us an opportunity to measure our level of preparation before the final phase back in South Africa,” said Parreira.
“Also bear in mind that we have South American and European opposition in the group matches.
“But the most important thing is that the players will get a different experience being away from their familiar surroundings,” he added.
Key ingredients and game breakers
The Bafana coach said good team preparation, self-belief and the nation’s support are vital if the team is to make progress to the quarterfinals and beyond. He is confident the South African team possesses the raw material to get past Mexico, Uruguay and France in the first round.
“We are beginning to play well as a unit on and off the ball, and we do have skillful players who can unlock tight defences,” said Parreira.
In order to create a World Cup-winning team, South Africa must be one solid family unit.
“We must prepare well, we must play with passion and pride and we must have a burning desire to succeed. You cannot do this alone, though. You need the entire nation behind you,” said the national coach.
History and the need for warriors
Looking at South Africa’s history of isolation from international movement due to apartheid, he sees this World Cup as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any player who will be selected in the final squad to represent his country on home soil, said Parreira.
South Africa’s achievement to host the World Cup in over 100 years of Fifa’s existence must be a good enough motivation for the players to represent their country with pride.
“Our task is to adequately prepare the team mentally and physically, and the rest is up to the players to finish the journey,” added Parreira.
“They must fight like men, the country needs warriors, the players must step forward and be counted. But my message to the players – and by the way, this is what I hear from the fans on the streets every day – ‘Coach, make us proud!’
“I just want the players to take this message to heart when they go out and represent their country. I want to say to them: ‘Make your country proud!’,” said Parreira.
How international soccer evolved
Parreira was coach of the Brazilian team that won the Soccer World Cup in 1994. Reflecting on the changes since 1994, he said one of the greatest has been the pace of the game. It has increased tremendously from the 1960s, and with it, the physical demands. Fighting for the ball is a key ingredient in winning matches.
The good thing about football is understanding the basics and executing them correctly.
“I’m talking about good preparation, tactical discipline, mastering different techniques and teamwork,” said Parreira.
“In order to keep up with the ever changing developments in football and sport in general, I do convene technical seminars in Brazil, like the recent one in December attended by my colleagues Pitso Mosimane, Serame Letsoaka and Simon Ngomane.
“We invite experts from around the world to lead discussions in the field of sports medicine, coaching methods, administration and psychology, just to name a few. “It is in seminars of this nature that we get an understanding of modern trends in football.
“The movement of players from country to country is also adding a different dimension to football,” he added. “Some of the leagues in the world are strong because of foreign players; and I’m on record as having said that South Africa’s league should reduce the number of foreign players for the benefit of Bafana Bafana.”
Extension of the Premier Soccer League
The extension of the PSL has affected the initial preparation for the World Cup, but the management team has rearranged its plans and they should be fine now. They are ready for the Brazil camp in March and the Germany camp in April.
Sedibe’s goals for Safa
Leaving a technical football legacy and hosting a cultural and artistic masterpiece that really will inspire the multitudes coming to South Africa to experience this global soccer tournament as the best-ever World Cup, is part of Sedibe’s vision as chief executive of SAFA.
He said that after winning the right to host the 2010 World Cup, SAFA pledged to host the best World Cup ever. The commitment was followed by setting up effective governance structures under the auspices of the 2010 Fifa Organising Committee.
Considering that this project is of national and international interest, SAFA roped in the government, business and labour to serve on the 2010 organising board.
Robben Island lekgotla
In January 2010, the national executive committee of SAFA kicked off an organisational repositioning strategy by convening a Robben Island lekgotla in partnership with Fifa.
It came up with a Robben Island declaration that emphasises SAFA’s commitment to channel more resources toward grassroots and football development, Sedibe told BBQ in an interview.
SAFA emerged from Robben Island with a commitment from Fifa to put processes in place that will facilitate a successful implementation of the long-term development plan.
Fifa will be sending specialists in organisational development to help SAFA with a review and once it gets the basics right, it will be a great opportunity for the association to commence its quest to reclaim the number-one spot on the continent.
That development plan includes the revival of the school of excellence. The development is focusing on the importance of coaching and education from grassroots and schools’ football, while giving special attention to elite coaching programmes.
SAFA has appointed a technical director, Letsoaka, and is in the process of finalising a technical structure that will impact on the 52 SAFA regions, 317 local football associations and schools.
Sedibe has been on record as saying the country is “a bit dull and needs a good party to shake it up before and during the Soccer World Cup.
“We need a catchy song. We need to engage the entire country.”
Elaborating on his remarks, Sedibe said the World Cup is not only about football, it is more than a game; it is something beyond the 90 minutes on the field of play.
The cultural and artistic legacy
The multitudes of supporters who will be coming to South Africa must experience the beauty of this country in its totality. “They must witness the magnificent stadiums that will host the matches, the beauty of the country – from Cape Town’s Table Mountain to God’s Window in Mpumalanga – and they must experience the music and dance that South Africa is famous for,” said Sedibe.
“This is an African World Cup, and our cultural diversity has always been a winning formula. We are united in diversity.
“The World Cup presents us with a unique opportunity to rewrite the history books like we did with our first democratic elections in 1994,” explained Sedibe. “Back then, the eyes of the world were on South Africa and we didn’t disappoint: we worked tirelessly as a country to host this important showpiece.
“Our visitors from all over the world must feel the true African welcome in song and dance. Remember that when Africa cries, Africa sings; and when Africa celebrates, Africa sings,” he told BBQ.
Returning to the summit in Africa
Sedibe says South Africa can be number one on the continent again, but it will take a concerted effort from the football family to achieve that goal.
“The proper development of players at an early age with correct habits is crucial. We need to escalate lifeskills programmes in our development process and ensure that SAFA develops players who will compete for positions in the Bafana Bafana team,” he said.
SAFA not in the red
According to the Mail and Guardian and other newspapers, SAFA has run out of cash, paralysing the administration of the country’s number-one sport.
A senior official told the M&G that SAFA is nearly R10 million in the red, contradicting former chief executive Raymond Hack’s assurances that he left its books in a healthy state.
Sedibe vehemently denied it in an e-mail response to BBQ: “No, Safa is not in the red financially. We experienced a cash flow challenge because of outstanding payment from some of our partners and other stakeholders. That issue has been attended to and our cash flow is back on track.
“The programmes of the association have always been on track. The Bafana camp in January went according to plan. Our national Under-20 women went to Zambia for their World Cup qualifying match. It is business as usual in the association,” he said.
Fanie Heyns
