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Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane
The South African Football Association (Safa) expects Bafana Bafana to reach the final of the 2013 African Cup of Nations, and has effectively warned coach Pitso Mosimane that he stands to lose his job if the side cannot make it past the group stages.
Acting president Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana made it quite clear on Thursday that failure in the continental showpiece, which is being hosted here for the first time since 1996, was not acceptable.
“Of course we have met with our coach,” said Nonkonyana. “And naturally we want to reclaim our rightful position, to be No1 in Africa… we are not in the top three in Africa. To us, that is the minimum.
“But when you host in the country, you must go to the final, so you can be No1.
“If we are booted out in the first round, it will be a serious indictment, and heads will have to roll.
“But key to that is to give our coach every support, from finances to administration, so he can have no excuses. We will not be amused if we are beaten.”
Nonkonyana was speaking after Safa announced the initial prognosis of last weekend’s technical symposium, aimed at creating a way forward for the beautiful game in this country.
South Africa are loitering - pathetically nowhere near the top of the continental pile, having failed to qualify for the last two African Cup of Nations finals.
According to a Safa statement: “The primary purpose was to establish a consensus among more than 200 of some of South Africa’s best football minds as to where we are and what we need to focus on, to build a technical foundation that can enable us to realise our potential and become a dominant nation in African and world football by 2020.”
“We need again to become a winning nation,” added Safa CEO Robin Peterson.
“We have to recapture the success embodied in the success of 1996 (when South Africa won the Nations Cup on home soil), we have to do this consistently and think big.
“We have set a goal - that we are consistently in the top three in Africa at all age levels, and in the top 20 in the world. We achieved this once, but intermittently, and we have been on a steady decline since.”
The symposium outlined within this a series of pointers, from developing a national philosophy, to talent identification, to sport science, that Safa will use as a framework to achieve their ambitions.
“There is no silver bullet for success,” added Peterson.
“We have to earn the respect of our fans and stakeholders… doing the hard work, taking the road less travelled and going through the necessary route of planning, and ultimately implementation.”
Bafana coach Mosimane, however, cannot quite operate on the same timeline as Safa, if the acting president Nonkonyana’s words are to be believed.
While the association has until 2020 to create a dominant force in football, Mosimane has less than a year to create a side capable of reaching the final of a Nations Cup.
Good luck, Pitso, you’re going to need it. - The Star
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Ray, wrote
Pitso has failed the South African football. SAFA as the football administration organisation has failed. The minister of sports knows about this, it is just confirming what was said by the former CEO Mr Leslie Sedibe on air on the national radio, that the current SAFA leadership was placed in with a political agenda rather than the administration of football. Mr Fikile Mbalula, it is time to act rather than making noise. The nation heard the minister making noise about rugby, cricket now is football, WE WANT CHANGE. When? Now!!!!!!! It's too late already.
RULANI 5.9 CHAUKE CYPRIAN, wrote
PROVEN LONG AGO THAT PITSO HE'S NOT A GOOD CHOACH BUT A GREAT PLAYER 'THE GUY MUST DO US A FAVOUR BY STEPPING DOWN'FOR THE BEST OF THE COUNTRY'
RULANI 5.9 CHAUKE CYPRIAN, wrote
PROVEN LONG AGO THAT PITSO HE'S NOT A GOOD CHOACH BUT A GREAT PLAYER 'THE GUY MUST DO US A FAVOUR BY STEPPING DOWN'FOR THE BEST OF THE COUNTRY'
lsg, wrote
Nice one @ TMan.For the record,to win 23 titles with Supersport does not mean that you're the best coach in South Africa.We have Hunt and Igesund,you were appointed because you're black,it is a fact and everbody knows that.You are the best person in your eyes and when you're at your home,Not in the eyes of South Africans.Steve Khompela is far much better than you.That money you earn i think it is the one that makes you think you're the best.You are the worst coach in South Africa Pitso man.
Tman, wrote
No wonder our soccer is going no where, instead of firing the guy right away so that his replacement can have enough time to work with the team and prepare it for AFCON 2013 and the 2014 world cup, you are still given him another year. Shame on you. This is a perfect recipe for going nowhere. Assuming the new guy will start next year in Jan; he will have <18 month to work with the team before going to Brazil (that's if we have qualified). Does this sounds familiar? Back to the past. Remeber Carlos Santana and Parreira situation. History will be reapeating itself. When will this SAFA ever learn? There is no way that anything will change between now and Jan next year.This guy is a failure period, i don't understand why SAFA and South Africa are tolerating him and his arrogance. This arrangement will only allow him to get few more millions before he is sacked. Let's not forget that this guy was given the job without having to compete with anyone.
lsg, wrote
@ MW Mkhize,Pitso failed to qualify for AFCON yet he consider himslef the best? His job is not to read the rules? You do not know what you are talking about.
Anonymous, wrote
why give him more time, please fire him now and the rest of his dancing beef.we wont qualify for anything with him on board. we want new coach!!!! we want new squard!!!.
mfanawenzule, wrote
@Dean:"His selecting of substandard players will be his downfall". Which players would you rather he selected that are not part of the team right now?
Monde Tshibilika, wrote
Frank Dlamini you are correct with this AA thing. I believe the real brains within Bafana set-up is one Senor Leal, who also assisted Senor Perreira, and who is brother of Orlando Pirates coach, one Senor Julio Leal.We are only "fronting" !!!
MW Mkhize, wrote
This is exactly the kind of attitude that has seen the decline in our national soccer competence, especially after the current SAFA management took over. When it is a black local coach at the helm, the SAFA management speaks with sharp and incisive language, threatening to take action again and again. This is slavish attitude is also conspicuous in the black soccer fans. When is this destructive attitude ever going to end? How can you coach a nation when times and times again you are being slept with ridiculous ultimatums, as if you are competing with no-one else but yourself? This is the management that went all the way to Brazil to secure the services of a coach who had not only previously buried the remaining Bafana Bafana competence, but had just been booted by his own team in Brazil. They went down on their knees and splashed the taxpayer's purse. Never once did they speak with this arrogant voice that we see everytime we have a local black coach. The truth is, Bafana Bafana has done comparatively well under Pitso; a more cooperative attitude would have seen an even better performance. But of course we will never see that because, honestly speaking, nobody can perform at their best when put in a hostile corner. We will have to forgive the coach when he loses his rhythm and step as he seems to be doing at the moment.
Boss, wrote
I can beleave this, Pitso has proved to us that he dont know what he's doing. Pls fire this guy NOW. or else things can only get worse!
zz, wrote
If I was an acting president I would come up with these promising nice stories to keep my sit worm and shifting focus to the direction of the coache (Were is the president ??). We lost Yeye so that we can worm up the serious countries in football and watch them play on TV. I have nothing personal against Pitso but I think he had a fair share of time to deliver to no success.It's time for fresh ideas as early as possible.
ATILLA, wrote
the fish rots from the head. Politicians are the puppetmasters and they (ANC) are pulling the strings to make a quick buck at the expense of the longterm health of the game. Discipline is also a huge problem, ala Benny Macarthey circus.Find the right coach, give him carteblanche and let him get on with his job
Pieater, wrote
Nonkonyana's "our rightful position, to be No 1" sums up Safa's problem - arrogance. No one has a right to be number 1; you get there through talent, hard work, dedication and proper management at all levels. In short, you are number 1 because you deserve to be. Until Safa realise this, South African football will decline even further.
Anonymous, wrote
It must start with Safa and Psl working together and making sure that Pitso has the infrustructure including Players that he is demanding to do his job: we dont need excuses anymore. The Safa and PSL admistration have greatly dissappointed when coming to supporting and helping in developing this countries soccer to be the best. I mean the poor(so to say)dissadvataged contries perform better than us. No more talks just action
Anonymous, wrote
SAFA should have taken this stance a long time ago. We would have made it past the group stages in 2010 WC.
Anonymous, wrote
I fully agree that we must reach the final of AFCON 2013 and win it. SAFA, PSL, PSL club owners and we supporters should all be patriotic and rally behind the national team. Players must wear the jersey with pride and deliver in the field of play. But PLEEEEEEASE Chief Nonkonyane no more Sangomas.
Joey, wrote
Pitso & SAFA board are loosers and good to the future of our National Soccer team. Get RID of them. The sooner, the better!!!
Boondokker, wrote
Pitso should walk the plank now. By his own admission on TV last week, he is not the best coach in SA!!! We already know that he is useless and will not even come close.
lsg, wrote
He told everyone that he's the best that is why the local coaches did not release players for those friendlies.How is he going to work closely with them as he needs their support in every aspect.Why Safa is setting the target now,every organisation set targets when they start work.It shows that he did not have a target initially because he is black.This thing of colour is not gonna take us anywhere in SA.He failed to qualify and must step down.He is arrogant too
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