SABC & 2010 Concern

SABC & 2010 Concern

SABC will be bringing live the 2010 World Cup. I watched the game between South Africa and Jamaica with a couple of friends.

We ended up chatting about the lack of interest of the white community in our National Team.

Now I ask myself as to why most of whites do not even watch the game on TV. I try to put myself in these people's shoes. The commentary is in English and one of the African Languages.

I do not personally get affected because most of the time the African Language is Tswana or Sesotho. Thank God its never in Venda, Shangaan or IsiNdebele, and maybe SABC should explain why a selected few African languages should be privileged in this regard.

The very same SABC would broadcast Cricket and sometimes Rugby and the commentary would be purely English and no African Language. Are they excluding and exempting African people from Cricket and Rugby?

The fact of the matter is English is the national language in this country and most of the African people can speak it, thanks to colonization, so why not simply accommodate most of the people of this country and do sports commentary in English?

I say this with great respect to all African Languages in this country. For the record, if I had it my way, I would have 11 commentators representing all African Languages at every soccer match and someone doing the sign language, just to cater for every citizen of the country.

Baile Motshoane
Fafung village

Anele Ngcongca, potentially class

"South African players are skillful". How often have you heard this quote from visiting European coaches or players. As if they are being polite on the standards of our players ability. In fact, when you look at the South Africa player landscape the skillful tag is true.

Our players are skillful but they lack everything else that would described them as "class". The term class is left for the players that are at the very top of the game. Fans don't describe Essien, Drogba or Kaka as skillful, they are class.

When looking at the PSL, ninety nine percent of the players are skillful. The one percent left are within the U20 squad who performed well in Egypt. In the Bafana squad, Pienaar and Benni stand alone.

Parker and Masilela are developing their potential to be in this class. Anele Ngcongca has this potential as well.

The more I watch him playing for Racing Genk, the more I'm impressed. Anele is the player Bafana needs, a utility player with class. Recommended to Racing Genk by Arsene Wenger, Anele Ngcongca is able to play central defence, left-wing and defensive midfield with the confidence of Michael Essien. The potential to be class is there, Bafana needs to recognise it.



By Marlon Koopman
http://soccermzansi.blogspot.com/

SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL ANTHEM

Learn It And Know It

Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika
Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo,
Yizwa imithandazo yethu,
Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo.

Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso,
O fedise dintwa la matshwenyeho,
O se boloke, O se boloke setjhaba sa heso,
Setjhaba sa South Afrika - South Afrika.

Uit die blou van onse hemel,
Uit die diepte van ons see,
Oor ons ewige gebergtes,
Waar die kranse antwoord gee,

Sounds the call to come together,
And united we shall stand,
Let us live and strive for freedom,
In South Africa our land.

Ras Dumisane - SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL ANTHEM

Komphela lashes out at Hack

Parliamentary Sports Committee Chairman Butana Komphela has spoken out about the 'missing' protea in the new Bafana Bafana replica jerseys that were launched last week.

The jersey that Bafana Bafana wore in their 0-0 draw had the protea but the ones that have been sold have been without the symbol.

Komphela lashed out at the SAFA CEO Raymond Hack who was quoted by Business Day insisting 'it is still a Bafana jersey (whether it has the protea or not) and that is all there is to it."

The chairman told the paper: "Raymond Hack is a dangerous, walking time bomb. His statement is the extent of how much he does not care about the pride of his country.

"Tell Raymond Hack that this is a national symbol that we are talking about here and we cannot make a mockery of the World Cup."

It is alleged that SAFA were cutting costs with the omission of the symbol, something that occured during Molefi Oliphant's reign.

SAFA president Kirsten Nematandani has vowed to solve the issue.

He said: "The old guard made these decisions a while back but we now have to sit down with Adidas and sort this out.

"It is something that we are engaging the government about at the moment. But I cannot tell you more about it."

source: http://www.football365.co.za/story/0,22162,14287_5699589,00.html

Grooming of other strikers and Development

Grooming of other strikers and Development

I had intended to supply only two words regarding this so-called Benni-SAFA saga – Flippin’ Pathetic. One for SAFA and the other for Benni. They’ll sort it out between themselves as to who takes which word…

But because several people (like Aubrey) have written a few words, I’ve decided to elaborate more (but it still boils boil to the two words… so here goes…

Shame Benni… he’s just a victim of the SAFA’s incompetence… how can they be so inconsiderate. Poor Benni is just back from a grovelling Premiership season, he’s emotionally affected by Santa Claus (I mean the Paraguayan striker threatening to bench him at Blackburn), he doesn’t have a babysitter etc. SAFA need to be respectful and be mindful when they call Benni… he just wants to be a good parent!

Believe it or not, this is how some respected people see this issue. I just cringe thinking that some of our journos and respected commentators habour such diarrhoea!

Firstly, lets acknowledge (and condemn) that SAFA have almost always bungled call-ups. But lets put some context into this now… we know the call-ups happened late because the Music One (our coach Santana) had some business to attend to before gracing our shores. Therefore it is not smart to claim that SAFA do call-ups late and so on. Even if it was the case…

How come Aaron Mokoena (who is in the same team as Benni) and a host of other overseas-based players are here without complaints?

Even Macbeth Sibaya who’s been out of the picture for some time and therefore wouldn’t have anticipated a call has come without undue publicity stunts!

Oh, I forget, Benni is a special case… he’s a good striker and we don’t have any, he’s our top goal scorer and he has a Spanish wife who needs to go on holiday!

Therefore SAFA should get a diary for Benni, check with his wife for schedules (see if there’s a babysitter etc). Then go ahead and belittle other up-coming strikers and dance to the Special One’s whims until we find another top striker. Yeah, that sounds like a plan! Definitely not…

Let’s rather challenge the fallacies and assumptions.

Top Striker and Top GoalScorer:
Of course he’s a terrific striker. No one can deny that. But hang on a bit,he’s been in devastating form for club and not for the national team. The last time I saw his club form for Bafana was in Burkina Faso (I think in 2002) and he’s largely been average on other tournaments (least of all being part of a pathetic display in Egypt).

And yes, by playing regularly as a striker you will end up being the top goal scorer (that was the case with Masinga and later Bartlett).

This does not take anything away from Benni because he is indeed a great striker.

(Even though his club place is threatened by Santa Cruz who is not among the Top20 strikers in Europe)

He’s the Only One we have…
That will remain like this until we give confidence and support to the other young up-and-coming strikers. This is more of a self-fulfilling prophecy. If we keep on saying there’s no one else, so will it be until the Special One uses a walking stick.

SAFA bungles and therefore Benni is justified.

If two wrongs make a right then maybe…
It is the nation we are talking about here and not a personal squabble between Benni and whoever it is at SAFA.

What’s to be done? SAFA need to get their act together and ensure everything is professional and above-board.

Grooming of other strikers and development in general should be top priority. Benni to get a babysitter and decide whether he wants to play for the country or not.

Or he can even try the option of turning out for the Spanish national team. (Good luck in trying to displace guys like Torres, Villa – I wonder if he’s even qualified to polish their shoes!!)

By Mkhulu Christopher Rathebe

FIFA U-17 World Cup Nigeria 2009 Final Highlights

Benni McCarthy

Benni McCarthy

Somebody please help me understand this… does your talent entitle you to repeatedly give others the middle finger?

Blackburn Rovers and former/ current/ future/ enstranged/ erstwhile Bafana striker Benni McCarthy has double-crossed SAFA (I don’t mind that, they sometimes do it to themselves) and the nation again.
The unpredictable, albeit talented, goalgetter has declared himself available for 2010 but put on his usual arrogant and ambiguous stance as far as availability before then.

The question is: should he be just allowed back and continue to do the in-an-out jamboree simply because he is talented* or should we instil discipline and thereby bring respectability to donning the national kit.

Let’s say he stays out even after Carlos has gone to England to lick his (and Quinton “My Phone Is Off” Fortune boots (as the coach is expected to do in January). We then struggle to qualify for Ghana 2008 and labour our way through the tourney as well scrape through in the Confederations Cup a year later. In the process we manage to make a real striker out of Lungisani Ndlela and the two Katlegos (Mashego and Mphela at Supersport – watch this pair!).

Then in a bid to increase his national appearance quota for permit and usefulness purposes at Blackburn**, our loveable Benni comes with his cheesy ‘I want to play for my kantry (sic – country is what I mean)’ line.
What do we do – accept him because he’s got more experience and a household name? Call him bluff and stick to the (hopefully) now prolific trio I mentioned? Bring him in with conditions?

Methinks it’s unfair to push our home-grown and dedicated personnel in favour of ‘established’ prima-donnas (irregardless of their undoubted talent).

*Talent is one thing but dedication and hard work is another. As most English teams (especially in the near-past) would tell you, teamwork and dying for the course is what counts. Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke were not the smartest crayons in the box but boy did they work hard! In any case, while we cannot doubt the talents of Benni, what has he done to prevent two disgraceful World Cup 1st round exist and non-qualification for 2006 showpiece.

What role to stop the 1996-2006 Afcon rot and downward slide. The mauch vaunted ‘overseas brigade’ have played a more prominent role in the downward slide! So I ask, what use talent and reputation?

**Right now (even though there are signs of a diminish) Benni is at the top at Blackburn and he’s not threatened and he can afford to play truant with the nation. As soon as he’s threatened and the caps dry up, he’ll naturally be available (hence the 2010 pledge) ala Fortune and Bartlett.

Comments please! Especially if you disagree!

By Mkhulu Christopher Rathebe