Sports
Bell Tolls For S’Africa’s Football
South African football
is on a downward slide that will be difficult to arrest if the country does not address its failings across all levels of the sport.
That is the warning coming from experienced and respected voices within the game in South Africa – and the message is also echoed by some of the country’s brightest hopes on the pitch.
South Africa will not be at this year’s World Cup finals in Brazil, whose national team reinforced the inadequacies of the current Bafana Bafana side when they thrashed them 5-0 in a friendly in Johannesburg on 5 March.
That defeat felt like a truer representation of where Gordon Igesund’s team are at the moment, rather than their 1-0 victory over reigning world champions Spain in a friendly in November – a victory that was seemingly no more than an anomaly.
In the last decade there have been no signs of a return to the form that secured South Africa the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations, a runners-up finish in 1998 and third place in 2000.
Since then, they reached the quarter-finals only twice – and it was viewed as a massive when disappointment when they went out at that stage as hosts of last year’s edition – and failed to qualify at all in 2010 and 2012.
Add to that a single World Cup finals appearance since 2002 – as hosts in 2010 – and the statistics make for grim reading.
Former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Hans Vonk believes that the underlying reasons run deep.
“Back in 1998 South Africa had a great team but it wasn’t part of a bigger plan,” said Vonk.
“There is a lack of quality coaches in South Africa, so a lot of talented young players fail to be recognised and they don’t have enough guidance to reach top level.
“All in all, the structure is not there. In the top flight, the Premier League, there are good coaches but there is nothing underneath the surface,” added Vonk, who was capped 43 times by South Africa between 1997 and 2005.
“If you compare with Brazil, for instance, they seem to be able to develop good street footballers from favelas but South Africa does not. You have to ask yourself why it isn’t possible for young South Africans to enter into national youth programmes.
“Professional football at the highest level doesn’t guarantee an inflow of youngsters up to the highest level. In South Africa they have tried to import knowledge from abroad but they harbour suspicions against input from foreign coaches.”
It is a view that is shared by former Ajax Cape Town coach Foppe de Haan, who is also worried about the future of the South African Premier League.
“The rejuvenation of the teams in the competition is not there; the average age of players in the Premier Soccer League is really high and clubs tend to make use of old, physically strong footballers in the competition,” he said.
In August 1996 South Africa were 16th in Fifa’s world rankings, they currently sit in 54th place
“While rugby is part of South African schools, football is most often taught by committed teachers with no football background. South Africa Football Association President Danny Jordaan already mentioned a youth league would increase the quality at senior level in the long run, and I can only back this up.
“I’ve tried to teach the players to play modern football instead of classical kick and rush and in the end it paid off, which proves South African footballers do have the capabilities to play modern football.
“If you want to improve the level, you need quality coaches; therefore you need to school them as well.”
The problem with coaching at grass roots level and the fact that the current crop of top-flight players and Bafana Bafana internationals aren’t considered up to the required standard means the situation may well feel bleak to fans in South Africa.
But Ajax and Bafana Bafana midfielder Thulani Serero is optimistic that the talent is coming through and feels it simply needs to be harnessed and nurtured.
“They definitely should create more programs with showcases and tournaments that could be held in schools. I’ve seen players out there that are good enough.”
However, Serero’s attitude towards outside influences, “we don’t need foreign involvement and instead should rely on our own vision and thoughts on football”, appears to back up Vonk’s claim that the football mentality in South Africa is an insular one.
It is an opinion that strikes an odd chord given Serero plays his football in Netherlands, and also when you look at South Africa’s fall from being one of the continent’s heavyweights to the 12th best in Africa, according to Fifa’s rankings for March.
While South Africa’s football philosophy faulters, Serrero and another of South Africa’s brightest talents, Kamohelo Mokotjo, are thriving with Dutch sides.
And PEC Zwolle defensive midfielder Mokotjo, who is currently topping the polls for the Eredivisie Player of the Year award, hinted that the environment in South Africa is not beneficial for players learning their craft.
“Back in the day South African footballers were really humble and knew their tasks. On the pitch you wanted to play for each other; there was cohesion,” said the 22-year-old.
“Now there is no game plan and no vision. All the lines are now working separately from each other.”
Yet Mokotjo is hopeful that attitudes will change and South Africa will find their way back to right path.
“Sticking together is the best remedy for now. We have a new generation of football players and it’s about how you put all the pieces of the puzzle together. That’s going to make a difference,” he said.
It is a puzzle that may take a long time to solve.
Ian Hughes & Pieter Stroink van Eizenga writes for BBC Sport.
Ian Hughes & Pieter Stroink van Eizenga
Andrea Cambiaso scored at both ends during the first half of Saturday’s Derby d’Italia, before Pierre Kalulu’s red card forced Juventus to play the entire second half a man light.
Substitute Francesco Pio Esposito got Inter back in front with a bullet header, then Manuel Locatelli’s pinpoint finish looked to have salvaged a point for the Bianconeri, before Zielinski struck on the cusp of stoppage time.
Juventus made the brighter start, but they were masters of their own downfall in the 17th minute, when Cambiaso deflected Luis Henrique’s cross beyond Michele Di Gregorio.
Cambiaso atoned within nine minutes, catching Henrique on his heels when Weston McKennie’s cross squirmed through to the back post and applying a side-footed finish.
But after Bremer cleared Zielinski’s dinked effort off the line, Juve’s hopes were damaged when Kalulu received his second yellow card for a 42nd-minute pull on Alessandro Bastoni, though the Inter centre-back appeared to go down theatrically.
Di Gregorio made a remarkable stop to thwart Hakan Calhanoglu, but as Juventus dropped ever deeper, they were punished when substitute Esposito guided Federico Dimarco’s searching cross into the far corner with 76 minutes on the clock.
It looked like Inter would have to settle for a point when Locatelli whipped a wonderful finish into the bottom-left corner in the 83rd minute, but Zielinski had the final say as his 20-yard drive fizzed through Locatelli’s legs and beat Di Gregorio.
A cloud of uncertainty has settled over Liverpool after comments from Hungary head coach Marco Rossi reignited speculation about Dominik Szoboszlai and Real Madrid.
Rossi, who has worked closely with Szoboszlai since his teenage years, revealed that the midfielder’s lifelong ambition is to play for the Spanish giants.
“Because of the very close and direct relationship I’ve had with Dominik since he was a child, Real Madrid has always been his dream,” Rossi said.
For a Liverpool side building around Szoboszlai as a centerpiece of Arne Slot’s project, those words landed hard.
Within hours of Rossi’s remarks, Szoboszlai interacted on social media with two Real Madrid players, applauding posts from Vinicius Junior and Trent Alexander-Arnold following Madrid’s win over Real Sociedad.
His reaction to Vinicius’ post drew particular attention. The exchange with Alexander-Arnold, his former Liverpool teammate, was seen as less surprising.
Still, in the hyper-connected world of elite soccer, even a digital thumbs-up can carry weight. On Merseyside, fans and pundits quickly began dissecting the meaning behind the interactions.
Szoboszlai, Hungary’s captain, has become one of Liverpool’s most influential players. That status is precisely why Rossi’s comments triggered such an intense reaction in England.
The midfielder had just delivered on the field as well, scoring in Liverpool’s 3-0 FA Cup fourth-round victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield.
After the match, Mohamed Salah heaped praise on his teammate, calling Szoboszlai “the best player in the world.” Slot struck a slightly more measured tone but echoed the sentiment.
“I think there are many elite players in the world, but I definitely agree with Mo that he is one of them,” Slot said. “He is very important for us.”
Szoboszlai is under contract at Liverpool through 2028. However, the club is reportedly eager to open extension talks in the coming months to secure his long-term future.
The player himself addressed the situation recently with notable candor.
“There’s nothing yet, to be honest. Nothing from now on. It’s not in my hands. That’s how it works,” he said. “There’s no progress, but if the right offer comes, we’ll see.”
He was equally clear about his affection for Liverpool.
“We’ll see what happens. Hopefully everyone will be happy in the end. Of course I want to stay. I like the city, I like the club, I like playing with these guys. I love Anfield, I love the fans. Let’s see what the future brings. It’s not my fault. I’d love to stay. We’ll see.”
Inter’s dramatic victory boosted their lead over rivals AC Milan to eight points, ahead of the Rossoneri hosting Como on Wednesday. Juventus, meanwhile, could drop out of the top four as Roma visited Napoli last night.
The last four Serie A matches between Inter and Juventus have produced a total of 21 goals (an average of 5.25 per game), compared to just nine in the previous six (1.5 per game).
Cambiaso became the first player in Derby d’Italia history to score and put through his own net in the same match between these old rivals, but it was Zielinski’s fifth Serie A goal of the season that proved decisive.
Inter will argue they were deserved victors after amassing 21 shots and 1.88 expected goals (xG), while Luciano Spalletti’s visitors mustered 10 shots and 0.92 xG – though the Bianconeri actually attempted six of their shots while down a man in the second half.
Premier League strugglers Wolves overcame resolute Grimsby Town in challenging conditions at Blundell Park to reach the FA Cup fifth round at the expense of the side that eliminated Manchester United in the last round.
Santiago Bueno scored from Wolves’ only shot on target with an hour played, diverting Joao Gomes’ cross past goalkeeper Jackson Smith with his thigh to end the League Two club’s resistance.
Unrelenting rainfall caused heavy ground underfoot and one penalty area in particular- that of Grimsby’s Smith in the first half – was already a quagmire before kick-off.
Charles Vernam shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box with just 43 seconds on the clock as Grimsby sought to catch their top-flight visitors cold.
Wolves had to wait until the 17th minute for their first opportunity of note, forward Tolu Arokodare firing over with a first-time attempt.
The white paint of the pitch markings soon blended and blurred with the mud as the surface rapidly deteriorated, and both sides struggled to stitch together cohesive attacks as passes travelled unpredictably across the sodden ground.
