JOHANNESBURG - President of the SA Football Association (SAFA), Danny Jordaan, says South Africa desperately need more coaches in women’s football.
Jordaan was speaking at the Fifa Women’s Administrators Course which came to an end on Thursday, at the Safa Technical Centre in Johannesburg. The workshop was organised by the association and funded by the world governing body Fifa.
A total of 52 Regional Executive Officers – the women who run football in their respective regions – were invited to the gathering, as well as referees and Provincial Techical Officers (PTO).
“We should use the ration of one coach for 20 players, because at the moment it is one coach for every 200 players – and that will definitely not work. Top countries like Portugal, Spain and England have a ratio of one to 20 and that is the way to go if we want to be world-beaters,” said Jordaan.
“We need an additional 100 000 coaches, who must come from the regions; we need to produce those numbers over the next four years for us to make headway. We should have workshops in your regions, because we have a lot of work to do. We are not here to talk and get certificates. We must walk the talk! Safa is bigger than all the sporting codes combined in this country, and if we can reach our target of the number of coaches then South Africa will get where we need to be.”
Jordaan went on to say another major problem the sport faced was lack of exposure: “Of all the sporting codes, rugby, cricket, even the PSL included, there are more women football players with overseas clubs and yet we (Safa) don’t make noise about them. They leave the country and disappear just like that.Banyana Banyana duo of Refiloe Jane and striker Rhoda Mulaudzi have signed for Australian side Canberra United, becoming the first South African players to play in Australia.
WELL DONE GIRLS!! pic.twitter.com/GdP0Fc5jHT
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) August 20, 2018
“It should not be like that; in men’s football when a player leaves (the country) we know everything about their every move. We must have a structure that makes it possible for us to keep track of these girls as well because what you don’t see doesn’t exist. We must shine the light on all the work women are doing wherever they are.
“We have to do more to promote the women’s football. Players must be managed not only when they are in the team but also when they are out. If we do that sponsors will come, because at the moment they can’t sponsor something they can’t see. They want to sponsor a product that is alive.”