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I have often wondered why so much is expected of Bafana Bafana when the team has been in obvious decline since their historic win of the Africa Cup of Nations in 1996.
Truth is, even that win was on the back of a group of talented players (the kind we have not produced again) and home- ground euphoria.
There was no concrete foundation from which to build into the future and that is missing even today.
What you saw on Sunday and over the past few years is the team settling in its rightful place in the African rankings.
There is no extraordinary talent to carry the team and, unless a proper development plan is made and executed, the rot will continue no matter how much money is thrown at the Premier Soccer League.
The problem with Safa, the media and fans is they think that simply because they are the richest association in Africa, they can automatically beat all the other teams. Not so, as Ethiopia showed.
The Fifa rankings don’t mean anything. There are no more minnows in this game – it’s all down to how you play on the day.
Botswana almost shocked us.
Forget the 2014 World Cup and start laying a foundation for the future, starting with the 2022 World Cup.
Ask the Americans how they have done it. They can give you a list of the 10 best prospects under the age of 14 at any given time.
That’s development.
John Malinga
Joburg
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