Is Mashaba losing the plot?

Matshelane Mambolo is confused as to why Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba would expose his family to media. EPA/NIC BOTHMA

Matshelane Mambolo is confused as to why Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba would expose his family to media. EPA/NIC BOTHMA

Published Sep 12, 2015

Share

I’ve always thought that a man will do anything and everything in his power to protect his family from any kind of harm.

And when yours is as high-profile a job as that of leading the senior national team of a football-mad country, logic would dictate you keep your loved ones far away from the madding crowd as possible.

Not so Shakes Mashaba, the Bafana Bafana coach who is fast beginning to appear like he no longer wants the job – such were his outbursts this week following the defeat in Mauritania last Saturday.

As in his previous tenure at the helm of the squad, the former Orlando Pirates and Moroka Swallows skipper is once again picking up fights somewhat unnecessarily thanks to his inability to control his emotions.

Granted there are times when some in the media appear to be pushing agendas that are far removed from football. But a campaigner as seasoned as Mashaba should know better than to stoop to their level and get into verbal altercations.

Better still, he would desist from painting the entire media corps with the same brush as he spectacularly did this week.

Yet the lowest was what transpired at Orlando Stadium.

Why Bra Shakes felt it necessary to bring his children to the post-match press conference at Tuesday’s Nelson Mandela Challenge was arguably the saddest episode in the drama that has always been Mashaba’s reign as national coach.

Having led the team to a 1-0 victory over Senegal, Mashaba felt he had silenced his critics – most of whom, he believed, were tackling him, the man, and not the coach.

Be that as it may, bringing your children into your fights is a big “No” and the fact that Bafana’s media officer, Mathlomola Morake, allowed Mashaba’s son, Jabu, to ask a “loaded” and seemingly rehearsed question that allowed “Daddy” to take a swipe at the media confirmed the fact that Safa’s communication department are pretty useless in their job.

Yet all what that did is expose the young man to a world that is very unkind to those who seek the limelight, for they will have all they do exposed to the world.

When Jabu next finds himself the subject of tabloid stories, he shouldn’t be surprised and “Daddy” will have to take the responsibility.

Exposing his family to media scrutiny was not the only negative thing Bra Shakes’ outbursts achieved.

In a country as racially polarised as ours, the coach’s ranting and raving has also put other black coaches in a bad light.

Already some of my white colleagues were saying this week “look at what your Mashaba is doing, we should have just stuck with Gordon Igesund”. And you can bet that’s what most other white South Africans are thinking.

I was in a conversation with a “youngish” black coach this week and he lamented Mashaba’s reaction to criticism saying all that will now happen going forward is that clubs and even the national teams will not have faith in black coaches.

“Eish, this old man is really messing things up for us now,” he cried.

It is a pity because Bra Shakes has generally served the country very well. From his taking the Under-20s to runners-up position at the Africa Youth Championships and thus becoming the first coach to take a South African side to the World Cup through getting us to our maiden Olympic qualification to twice getting us to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations – the man has a good track record.

He has since become the coach with the most number of wins in charge of Bafana with Tuesday’s win over Senegal.

All those are no small feats and if anything, Mashaba’s response to what he felt was personal attacks should have been to bring out the records.

Yes, the defeat to Mauritania was very bad and having acknowledged this much he should have stopped right there instead of going into excuses that essentially served to undermine the intelligence of the South African soccer follower, least of all us, the football media.

For me, though, the lowest thought was bringing his family into the whole fracas.

Sadly, it might just come back to haunt him. - Saturday Star

Related Topics: