25 January 2011
The year 2010 was a tumultuous one for South Africa as the country hosted the FIFA World Cup and on the field the national side showed signs of improvement.
But that is now all in the past and the country will look to 2011 to keep the steady progress of the past 12 months going.
It promises to be an interesting year for the South African Football Association, with CAF and FIFA elections looming, and Bafana Bafana’s qualification for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations to be decided.
The South African Football Association
SAFA have begun the year with a series of embarrassing blunders, such as not entering the national Under-23 side for the All-Africa Games, and leaving to to the last minute to find an opponent for South Africa for the February 9 FIFA date.
We were promised a new broom when this SAFA hierarchy took over in 2009, but as yet we have been subjected to the same old problems of incompetence.
A major hope for South African football in 2011 must be that he powers that be pull up their socks and begin delivering on promises, for the good of the game both at grassroots level and with the national team.
We must also hope that the R550-million that still remains from the FIFA payment to SAFA for hosting the 2010 World Cup will be wisely spent, though FIFA have done the right thing in insisting the cash goes into a Trust which they in part administer, to hopefully prevent tat money lining the pockets of greedy officials.
Bafana Bafana
If the national side are to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, then they must produce two results against the might of Egypt in March and June.
A win and a draw would probably be enough, though conceivably they could also afford to lose in Cairo, but aside from the points gained, positive results would also prove that Bafana are back amongst the continent’s elite.
Coach Pitso Mosimane was the right man for the job when selected after the World Cup and he has made a good start, but this year will be a defining one for him, as he seeks to continue the good work of his predecessor.
It is not all down to the coach of course, the best laid plans can be undone by players, but with a settled squad, good competition for places, this should be another good year for the senior side.
The Premier Soccer League
The domestic competition has grown in strength over the last few years and we are having what promises to be a vintage season with a number of contenders shaping up nicely.
One thing that will be important for the local league in 2011 is the re-signing of the TV deal with SuperSport, which should happen some time this year.
The R1.6-billion that SuperSport invested in the local game in return for TV rights as elevated the professionalism of the club’s no end, and with the shambles that is the SABC, it would be a giant step backwards were rights to go back to the state broadcaster.
African club competitions
SuperSport United are South Africa’s one and only entrant into the African Champions League,while BidVest Wits will defend the country’s honour in the CAF Confederations Cup.
South African sides have been dismal in African club competitions over the next few years, so what a boost it would be for the country were SuperSport to reach the group stages of their competition.
In order to do that though, they would have to get past Al Ahly in the knockout rounds, a tall order indeed. Wits are also a young side so it would be unfair to put too much expectation on them.
Junior and women’s national teams
This will be an important year for the South African Under-23 side as they seek to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
South Africa have a poor record in junior international football, and expectations will be low, but under coach Shakes Mashaba the Under-23s have an experienced campaigner who does at least have a track record, he qualified the side for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney where the beat Brazil.
The senior women’s side are also looking to take their place in London and they perhaps stand a better chance,being amongst the elite sides on the continent.
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