By : Fortune Ngobeni
Twitter: Computa@5
Email: ngobenicomputa@gmail.com
Image: SAFA.net
1996 was a very special year for the many football fans in ‘Mzansi' that still love the beautiful game to today. It is the year where history was made by a group of extraordinary individuals who expressed themselves in the football field in an unprecedented manner.
Bafana Bafana won the Africa cup of Nations (AFCON) the most prestigious continental trophy on offer for African national teams.
Today, one has to live with a sour truth that ‘Gone are the glory days’. All that a Bafana Bafana fan can do is reminisce on the past glory to actually find any positive direction that our national team is taking.
Bafana Bafana has failed to qualify for AFCON 2021 (something they used to win) and the last time they qualified for the FIFA world cup was by default because South Africa were the 2010 FIFA world cup hosts.
What is the reason behind Bafana Bafana’s tremendous downfall? Politics outside the field of play have deeply affected how well organised things are on the field. Nowadays our national team cannot even secure the availability of a training field before crucial games on time.
According to Michael Madyira(a reporter for GOAL.com) , the South African Football Association (SAFA) failed to avail a training pitch for the the preparation of a friendly between Bafana Bafana and Sierra Leone. This says a lot about the type of support and competence that role-players off the field to players on the field. “ Don’t ask me where we are going to train because I don’t (can’t ) tell you “. This are the comments made by head coach for Bafana Bafana Hugo Broos at a pre-match conference for a match they probably did not prepare for in a way they would have wanted, merely because SAFA couldn’t book them a pitch on time.
Many football fans also believe that the quality of footballers that are available in the country has deteriorated From time to time. This can be supported by making a quick comparison of where players in 1996 were playing and where the current crop of players are playing today.
In 1996, There was someone like Lucas Radebe who today has a street named after him in the city of Leeds for his legendary status as “The Chief” of Leeds United that played in the best league in the world. The English premier League.
There were about 5 players in the squad that played England and Turkey respectively. Playing environments considered to be of the best quality in the world. Today, the number of players that ply their trade in the best leagues in the world is slim-pickings. The very same players that ply their trade in the leagues considered to be the best are merely bechwarmers that hardly ever feature for their respective teams.
If quality and off the field politics improve, we will retain our status as a footballing nation.
https://youtu.be/YZVdpeQ8XVM
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